


A Super and a Luthor, 2.0

by Peggystormborn



Series: Every Time...A Karamel Anthology [18]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Canon compliant through end of season 3, F/M, Guardiancorp, KaraMel, Karamel spent 10 years in the future then came back with their kids, Star-crossed, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-12
Updated: 2019-01-12
Packaged: 2019-10-08 15:35:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 25,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17389055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peggystormborn/pseuds/Peggystormborn
Summary: Lex Luthor is finally going back to prison, leaving Lena with custody of his troubled teenage son. Struggling to connect with him, Lena decides to take action...by setting him up with Kara and Mon-El's eldest daughter.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> You don't have to read my other stories, but this heavily references the events of The Superkids are Alright.   
> For reference: Kara and Mon-El spent ten years in the 31st century and returned with their four children, and they've now been back for a decade, so all the kids are adolescents.   
> Kara told Lena immediately after her return.   
> Winn married Eve. 
> 
> These are Karamel stories, but the lead in for this is heavy on Lena and James.

“Good morning, Mr. Olsen. Coffee?” the young assistant inquires as James saunters past her desk, light on his feet, seemingly without a care in the world. 

 

“Nope, got it covered, Ms. Chen,” he beams, without missing a step, as he points bemusedly at the cup already in his hand. 

 

“Right,” she chuckles, a bit flustered. It's only her second week on the job and she still feels like her head's underwater. She knows it's been some time since the CEO had a regular assistant, having relied on temporary staff for over a year and a half. In fact, none of his assistants have lasted longer than a year since his first right-hand woman, Eve. Who apparently went on to bigger and better things after being poached to LCorp by none other than Ms. Luthor herself. Also known informally around the building as “The Missus” to James’ “The Hubs.” Though the young assistant has no way of knowing for sure, she imagines the staff at LCorp use similar monikers. 

 

Not that they were married, not in the literal sense anyway. But their couple-dom was felt on the premises, though Lena spent most of her time over at her own shop, pursuing whatever scientific endeavor most fascinated her at the moment. They had been together more than ten years now, and had long since settled into a well-oiled personal and professional partnership. They could often be heard walking in lockstep together through the halls, Lena's heels clacking as the two of them survey all of their busy bees at work. 

 

Busy bee number 547 or so was Angela Chen, recent graduate of National City University, still in awe of the fact that she--out of probably dozens, if not hundreds of applicants--had been selected as the personal assistant to the famous James Olsen. Though her excitement had been tempered on her first day when she discovered the worrisome lack of longevity for the last dozen or so previous occupants of her squeaky office chair. 

 

Thankfully, she'd been reassured by the ever-reliable Catco gossip mill that all of those individuals had either been promoted or given glowing letters of recommendation and subsequently left for greener pastures. James tended to be that way; if he'd learned one thing from Lena over the years, it was how to spot human potential, cultivate it, and make sure it didn't go to waste. 

 

Angela fusses with a few things her desk, finally locating her trusty ballpoint and legal pad, and trots after James into his office, waiting for him to rattle off her marching orders for the day. 

 

Instead, she finds him staring up at the wall of screens in his office, rapt with anticipation. 

 

“Is...is everything all right, Mr. Olsen?”

 

Somewhat startled, he swivels his chair around to face her direction, as though he shouldn't have expected her to be standing exactly where she's stood every other day just after his arrival, since the morning she was hired.

 

“Oh...uh, no, everything's good. It's a very… VERY good day in fact. It's just…there's a story that's breaking this morning. A big one. The biggest, actually. We got the scoop, or…half the scoop, anyway. I expect Kara to file it online any second. And when she does, believe you me, those screens are gonna light up like Christmas.”

 

“Wow. Okay, well, what's the story?”

 

“Lex Luthor.” James's face erupts in a smile as big as she's ever seen. “He's going back to prison. For good this time. At least, we think. Okay, so Supergirl, Superman and Valor got wind of one of his schemes a few months back, right? Superman was rescuing some kids from those forest fires up near the Yima Foothills, do you remember that?”

 

“I remember.”

 

“Well, the kids were trapped in a collapsed Luthor warehouse that, as it turned out, was a cover for a secret lab. Lex cleaned it out before Superman could find any clues, but it put the supers on his trail. He was working on some kind of red sun nanobot plague that would have blocked out yellow sunlight, in order to de-power all Kryptonians and Daxamites, not to mention destroying crops and livelihoods, holding the whole world ransom and forcing the supers to leave earth. Anyway, they eventually caught him. Dead to rights. Plot foiled, plenty of hard evidence. He's not worming his way out of this one. He's toast.”

 

Lex had been in this position once before: jailed by Superman after his scheme to destroy much of the California coastline was thwarted. But after a few years, his lawyers found a legal loophole and he wriggled his way out of prison. Like the snake he is. 

 

“Oh my God, really? And we got the exclusive?”

 

“Well, not exactly. Undercover officers picked him up early this morning. The feds are going to make an official announcement around midday, once they process him into supermax lockup. But Kara has been collaborating with Lois Lane to put everything together, and we're publishing simultaneously. Including interviews with all three supers. The local press will get wind of it pretty soon anyway, so we need to get it out now.”

 

As if on cue, the message BREAKING NEWS begins to flash across the screens, one by one. James rubs his hands together gleefully, as talking heads announce the day's events “...as reported in a joint story by the National City Tribune and the Daily Planet…” Before long, they cut to footage of Luthor himself, already clad in a numbered jumpsuit, being led from a regional holding facility to an armored car. 

 

“Who's that?” Angela asks.

 

“Umm...supervillain Lex Luthor, you mean? The evil genius we've just been talking about?” James side-eyes her curiously.

 

“No, I know that, I meant who's that behind him?”

 

Sure enough, James looks and sees a young man in the background of the shot, similarly shackled, trailing behind the older bald figure, flanked by heavily armed men nearly twice his girth.

 

“Oh,” he deflates a little, giddy energy draining out of him. “That's his son, Lex Junior. Guess they pinched him as well.” 

 

“He's so young.”

 

“He's…sixteen. I think.”

 

“Old enough to be tried as an adult. God, look at him. He looks terrified. I think he's been crying.”

 

“Yeah...well, if he's guilty, he's guilty. I've never met him, but if he's anything like his father then maybe he deserves to be in prison.”

 

“I guess. Sad, though. He has his whole life ahead of him. Hate to think of a kid rotting in jail just because he got manipulated by Daddy Dearest.”

 

James ponders this. Manipulative is certainly an apt description for Lex Luthor. He wasn't always, or at least not maliciously so. Lena still has fond recollections of the doting big brother he once was--or appeared to be, at any rate. Her teacher, her confidante, her friend. Of course, that was before he tried to kill her. And Clark. And a lot of other people. Before he became a monster. And not just any monster, not a soulless beast. No, Lex is a highly charismatic monster, the kind that draws people in with what feels like acceptance, only to repurpose them for his own ends and spit them out like used chewing gum. James has seen it happen to Lex's minions, time after time.

 

Poor kid never stood a chance. 

 

“I...didn't realize he was part of this,” James stammers. 

 

“Well, not like there was anything anyone could do about it. I'm sure whatever Lex was doing was horrible. Thank God they stopped him. It's a shame his son had to be collateral damage. But there's no one to blame for that but Lex. And hey, maybe the prosecutors will go easy on him. He's just a kid, after all.”

 

“We'll see, I guess. Hey, I need to make a call. Will you excuse me?”

 

Angela nods and scurries back to her desk as James dials the most important person in his life. Lena picks up on the first ring, but says nothing.  

 

“Hey, baby. I assume you're watching this.”

 

“...Yeah. Yeah, I am.” Her voice is cracking, and he can practically hear the tears streaming down her face.  

 

“...I didn't know about the kid. I don't think Kara did, either. Or she would have warned you.”

 

“If you say so.”

 

“I'm sorry.”

 

“I know,” she sniffles. “God, I've never even  _ met _ the child. I had no idea he even  _ existed _ until a few years ago. I don't know why I'm reacting like this.”

 

“I do. Because it could have been you.  _ You _ believed in him once.”

 

“I just wish...I wish there was something I could do.”

 

“You can talk to your lawyers. Maybe see if you can visit him. Let him know you're in his corner.”

 

“I'm not a kid person. I wouldn't have the first clue how to connect with him.”

 

“That's not true. In fact you might be the ONLY person who can. You're the Luthor that broke away from all that. Who learned to be better than your upbringing. Besides, you're great with Kara and Mon-El's kids. Alex's son. And Winn and Eve's daughters, too.”

 

“That's easy. Those kids have amazing parents to teach them right from wrong. I'm just the lady who takes them for ice cream and spoils them with expensive presents.”

 

“You were there for Ruby. Remember?”

 

“I haven't even  _ seen _ Ruby in ages. She's all grown now, I had nothing to do with  _ that _ .”

 

“I really think you're selling yourself short here.”

 

James can practically hear Lena rolling her eyes over the phone. “He's a teenager. That's a difficult age under normal circumstances, let alone...this. What the hell do I know about teens?”

 

“Other than having  _ been _ one, you mean? Growing up under the same roof as Lex?”

 

“My teenage years were not exactly typical. Look, James, I'd be totally out of my depth talking to this kid. I don't even  _ know _ any teens. Not high-school aged ones, anyway.”

 

“Except…”

 

“Except what?”

 

“Aren't you forgetting someone?”

 

“Who?”

 

“Um, Allie? You know, Allie Danvers? She's fifteen now. Nearly the same age.”

 

Lena thinks for a moment about her best friend's eldest child, the young half-Kryptonian, half-Daxamite, 31st-century-born daughter of two supers. “Oh, God, she is, isn't she? She's always been so damn precocious I guess I still think of her as a grown-up trapped in the body of a little girl.”

 

“Well, she's not little now. She's as tall as Kara. Almost.”

 

“She also hasn't exactly had a mundane life.”

 

“Neither has this kid. But I'd be willing to bet Allie can tell you a thing or two about growing up in the shadow of famous, exceptional parents. It's worth a shot.”

 

“Yeah...maybe. Let me think about it. I'll talk to you later.”

 

Lena hangs up the phone, and walks back over toward the flat screen in her office. The armored car has already hauled her only two blood relatives off to lockup. Where that might be she can't even hazard a guess. Not Albatross Bay, that's for regular criminals. She wonders if they'll be housed in some kind of state-of-the-art facility for criminal metahumans. The kind the DEO runs. 

 

Her phone rings again. Exasperated, she picks up without even looking at it. 

 

“James, I really can't talk about this any more right now, I…”

 

“Uh...Ms. Luthor? Sorry to bother you, my name is Katherine Spencer. I'm an attorney with an organization called the Juvenile Defense Initiative. We’re a nonprofit whose mission is to assist young people who are unfairly targeted by the criminal justice system. I'd like to talk to you about your nephew.”

 

“Nephew? I don't…oh. Right. My...nephew, the one who's on the news right now.” 

 

“That's the one. Now, I understand things are happening quickly, which is why we need to move fast. To give you some background, this case was referred to me by Lois Lane at the Daily Planet.”

 

“Yes, I'm familiar.”

 

“Right, well, she has given me some key details about the boy and his involvement with his father. We believe if he cooperates with the authorities, they may agree to his release.”

 

“Really?” Lena perks up.

 

“I can't guarantee anything, but yes, that's a possibility.”

 

“Can I ask...why him? A rich white kid? I would imagine you're usually in the business of helping lower income, disadvantaged teens.”

 

“Generally that's true, but this is a high-profile case, and…”

 

“...You want your organization's name in the papers. And I suppose it doesn't hurt that he has a wealthy aunt that might be grateful enough to make a donation somewhere down the line…”

 

“Uh...well, Ms. Luthor, that's not our primary goal here, I mean…”

 

“Look, I don't care. Whatever you need, whatever it takes to help him, I'll do it.”

 

She can hear the woman on the other end of the line exhale with relief. “That's good to hear. Now, the most important thing is his guardianship.”

 

“Guardianship?”

 

“Yes. If, in fact, we're able to get the government to agree to his release, he's going to need somewhere to go.”

 

“Doesn't he have a mother?”

 

“Kitty Kowalski. Lex's former...associate. Currently serving a 20-year sentence for racketeering, theft, and criminal conspiracy.”

 

“Oh. Right. So…”

 

“So…would you be willing? To serve as his legal guardian? He doesn't have any other living relatives, so the only alternative would be the foster care system.

 

“NO! No, not that.” She's heard enough horror stories from Winn to know she'd never let this kid end up there. “I'll…I'll take him, yes. I can do it.”

 

“Great. I'll start by contacting the DA's office to let them know the boy has representation.”

 

“I'm not kidding. I want the best lawyers available on this. Bring in whoever you need to consult. Top firms, whatever. I'll pay for it.”

 

“That's…very good to hear. I'll be in touch, Ms. Luthor. And thank you.”

 

“Yes, thank you, too.”

 

She hangs up, and for a moment, she's struck by a feeling of peace and relief. She did something. Something good. This is going to work, she's going to find a way to help. 

 

But then, the creeping fear kicks in. She's going to be his guardian. She's…she's going to be his parent. Lena Luthor, who's known from the time she was twelve that she never, ever wanted to raise a child…is about to become someone's mother. Stepmother, adoptive mother, foster mother...whatever. 

 

_ Oh, God, what did I just do? _


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lex Jr., Who now goes by A.J., arrives at his new home. It doesn't go as Lena hopes.

“You're upset, aren't you?” It's not a question, so much as an observation. They sit on the couch in their spacious living room, matching rocks glasses in hand, contemplating the commitment they've just made. Or, rather, that Lena made _for_ them.

 

“I'm just...surprised. That's all,” James says. “We agreed a long time ago that it was just going to be us.”

 

“I know we did. But I certainly can't leave him in the foster care system,” Lena replies.

 

“You could find someone else to adopt him. Like Clark did for Kara.”

 

“Like who? He's sixteen, James. And he's got…a past. You think adoptive families will line up to take in a near-adult with an infamous criminal mastermind for a father? Most of them want babies. You know, children who _haven't_ already appeared on television in orange jumpsuits.”

 

“A baby might be easier. At least there are books that tell you what to expect with those.”

 

“Look on the bright side. It's not like we'll have to deal with potty training or late-night feedings. I mean, he already has a driver's license, for God's sake. I assume he does, anyway. My point is he's mostly self-sufficient. He just needs a place to live.”

 

James sighs. “He may not be a little kid, but he's still going to need a lot of attention. You know that, right?”

 

“Of course I do. Look, James, I'm sorry I said yes without consulting you. But what choice do I really have here?”

 

“...Yeah, okay. This is just gonna be a really big adjustment. And I feel like we're...unprepared. We don't know anything _about_ the boy, except the big bullet points of his life story.”

 

“James, you and I are two of the most capable people I know. We both run major corporations, manage hundreds of people. He's just one kid. We can do this.”

 

“I just...I hope he doesn't, like, already hate us. Don't forget, he's been living for years with Lex. Who tried to _kill_ you once, don't forget.”

 

“He won't hate us. He rolled over on Lex. He wouldn't have done that if he was blindly loyal to that monster. No, I think...I think he's a scared, vulnerable kid who needs someone to believe in him.”

 

“...Like Kara did for you?”

 

“Well, I wasn't a kid…but yes. She sensed I needed someone to be there for me, to tilt the scales away from the darkness at a time when…I could have chosen another path. I think this boy probably needs that very much right now.”

 

“Okay. I'm with you. We'll figure it out.”

 

“Thank you. I love you, you know that?”

 

“I know. I love you, too.” He leans over to give her a quick peck on the lips. “So…when do we expect him to arrive?”

 

“Well, according to Katherine, the feds scared the crap out of him when they read out the charges. Though I'm sure he must have been just as scared of what Lex might do to him for ratting him out. But in the end, they convinced him. He told them everything he knew and even gave them the location of some backup servers they weren't previously aware of. They were more than happy to dismiss the charges in exchange for his cooperation. He may not even have to testify, since they have plenty of hard evidence. I suspect Lex will plead out to avoid a death sentence. They're charging him with treason.”

 

“Wow. So that means…”

 

“He'll be here tomorrow.”

 

“Tomorrow? That's not a lot of time…”

 

“The guest bedroom is all set, and I even got Alex and Kara to go over to Lex's mansion and pack up Junior's things.”

 

“Junior? Is that what we're calling him?”

 

“That's his name. What else would we call him? Lex?”

 

“No, I guess that's not better, is it?”

 

“Not really.”

 

“Okay. So...tomorrow, then.”

 

“Tomorrow. Tomorrow...we'll have a kid to raise.”

 

********

 

Lena spends most of the next morning pacing the halls of their penthouse apartment, fluffing couch cushions and straightening the picture frames on the walls. James clicks away on his laptop almost as an afterthought, as he's far more preoccupied by her bizarre nesting activities…and the ball of snakes wriggling in his gut.

 

At length, the doorbell rings. They both jump to answer it, hearts pounding.

 

Katherine enters first. Or rather, hovers uncomfortably near the doorway as the young man steps in past her. “Hi, Lena. I want to thank you, again, for your support. I won't stay, unless you want me to, but you have my information. Call if you need anything. Welcome home, Junior.” She pats the boy robotically on the back. He doesn't acknowledge her, but James and Lena nod and shake her hand, as she sees herself out.

 

And finally there the three of them are. Alone. Together. Lena smiles almost maniacally, watching his gangly, slumped over form entering the apartment and surveying his surroundings. He's wearing a rumpled olive-green military-style jacket and dirty, torn jeans as he carries a duffel bag over one shoulder. He doesn't exactly look like the picture of privilege. She notices his dimples. A couple of freckles. His mop of dark wavy hair, parted in the middle. It's not...particularly fashionable, but it suits him. Like a young Johnny Depp, she thinks. Before he got all...Johnny Depp-ish. He doesn't look much like his father. Even those memories she has of young Lex, before he went bald. Lex always had a...severity to him. Nothing like the overgrown lost boy she sees before her. In fact, he looks a bit more like...well, like herself as a teen. Especially her tomboy phase. She hopes he doesn't follow _too_ closely in her youthful footsteps, especially the goth period she went through that she'd very much like to forget.

 

“Hi, Junior. I'm Lena. Your aunt. This is my boyfriend, James.”

 

“James Olsen. I know,” the boy says. They wait for him to say something else, but he just stares at them. James reaches out his hand, and the young man shakes it, unenthusiastically.

 

“Uh…well, let's get you settled. How about we order some pizza for lunch, and we'll get you unpacked? We already have some boxes of your stuff in your...room.” She gestures to the hallway that leads to the former guest bedroom.

 

The boy mutters “whatever” as he walks away to said room. For a moment, Lena half-expects him to slam the door. But he doesn't. He leaves it open, and she can hear him rustling around, opening drawers and pulling the packing tape off the various moving boxes.

 

She nods at James to go ahead and order the food, and tentatively, nervously, enters his room.

 

“Junior? If you need a little time to yourself, I understand, but…”

 

“Don't call me that,” he says snappily, but without malice.

 

“What…Junior?”

 

“Yeah. That's what my Dad called me. I hated it. I mean who's freaking name is Junior?”

 

“Okay. What would you rather we call you?”

 

He pauses, contemplating. “Call me A.J.”

 

“A.J.?”

 

“Yeah, Alexander Joseph. It's what my mom named me. Alexander Joseph...Kowalski.”

 

Lena's heart sinks a little, but she can't quite put her finger on why. “Sure. If that's what you want. A.J. it is.”

 

“Okay.”

 

“Do you want me to leave you be for a bit? I mean, at some point, I'd like us to sit down and get to know one another, but that can wait if you need some space. Or...I can give you a hand.”

 

“I'd like to be alone for a while, thanks.”

 

Lena exhales, a little disappointed. “Okay. I'll be here all day, so let me know if you need anything.” She turns to leave, and hesitates, wondering whether to leave the door open.

 

“I like pineapple and ham,” she hears from behind her.

 

“What?” she asks, turning back to face him.

 

“On the pizza. I know lots of people think it's gross…Dad said it was for imbeciles with no taste...but _I_ like it.”

 

“You got it. Hawaiian pizza, coming right up.”

 

“Cool.”

 

She decides to quit while she’s ahead, and hurries out to let James know to add a special pie to their order.

 

********

 

A week later, she finds herself sitting on the couch at the Danvers residence, Scotch and soda in one hand (from the bottle she knows they keep on hand specifically for her visits), while thirteen-year-old Zora twists her hair into elaborate, uneven braids.

 

“It's gonna be okay, Aunt Lena. You'll find your rhythm,” the girl reassures.

 

“He's barely talked to me. I don't know what to say to him. How to connect with him. I just know I have to do _something_. But I'm so afraid to push him away.”

 

“Lena, breathe. This is gonna take time, okay?” Kara reassures her, squeezing her shoulder gently. “It did for me, when I was adopted. I mean, he didn't lose a planet, but he's certainly been through some trauma.”

 

“I don't feel like I _have_ a lot of time. He's going to be eighteen in two years, and then he'll be off at college. God willing, I mean.”

 

“Yeah, but it's not like parenting ends when they turn eighteen,” Mon-El chimes in. “It's a lifetime gig.”

 

Lena stares at him, as though this has never occurred to her before. “I just thought...I mean, he's almost grown. And I'm…I’m not really his mother. I'm just his guardian. He already had a mom. I can't replace her.”

 

“No, you can't. But you're still his person,” Mon-El clarifies.

 

“His...person?”

 

“You know. The person he calls when he needs help. The person he puts down as his emergency contact. The person he comes home to on holidays,” Kara elaborates.

 

“Right. The person who worries about him, who he wants to make proud, who loves him unconditionally,” Mon-El finishes. “His _person_.”

 

Lena sinks into the couch, overwhelmed. “I really didn't think this through. In my mind I just kept thinking…it's only two years. Two years is no big deal. But…it's not, is it? This kid doesn't just need two years. He needs…”

 

“He needs YOU,” Kara finishes. “Look, Eliza…she wasn't ever a replacement for my birth mom. Any more than Lillian was a replacement for _your_ mother.”

 

Lena huffs bitterly at that. “Lillian was never _any_ kind of mother to me. God rest her evil, manipulative soul. The only person I ever really had in that household was...Lex. Who now wants me dead. He still thinks I turned on him.”

 

“A.J. can probably relate to that, you know,” Mon-El notes.

 

“You think? I mean…his son? Lex is evil, but I still can't imagine he'd wish harm on his own child.”

 

“Are you sure? He seems the type to hold grudges,” Kara adds, ominously. Lena swirls the ice cubes in what's left of her drink, considering this.

 

“You've got a point,” she concludes. “I mean, I hired a bodyguard for him, and the school I'm enrolling him in has great security. But…maybe I can find some way to keep him close in his off hours. For his own safety. Find something that sparks his interest, that we can do together. Might bring us closer, too.”

 

“He likes robots,” Zora pipes up. Lena startles, having practically forgotten the child's presence since her braided updo was completed a few moments before.

 

“Robots?” Lena knits her brows together, staring at the young brunette with her mother's blue eyes and her father's nose. “How could you possibly know that?”

 

“Allie told me,” Zora shrugs. “She saw him once.”

 

“Honey, are you referring to the incident _of which we do not speak_?” Kara grinds her teeth as she stares down her progeny.

 

Zora gives her mother the look all thirteen-year-olds instinctively learn, the one that conveys both irritation and condescension. “Hey, don't blame me. I wasn't even there. I just heard about it. But we allllll know.”

 

“Know what?” Lena wonders.

 

To her parents’ clear annoyance, the child rattles off the quick version of the story: “So Allie and John did some unsanctioned hero-ing while Mom and Dad were out of town. Those fires a few months back. Cousin Clark ended up having to rescue them from Lex's collapsed lab, and A.J. was there. And he had a bunch of little spider-bots. Allie said he was kinda cute. So now I make fun of her about it. You know, Allie and boy Luthor, sittin’ in a tree. That sort of stuff.” Zora begins undoing Lena's hair, intent on re-braiding it in another direction.

 

Lena's mental gears immediately begin spinning. “Oh. Then they...met already?”

 

“Not exactly. Allie didn't talk to him, and her face was covered in soot and debris and stuff, so he probably wouldn't even recognize her.”

 

“Uh huh. So...robotics. Interesting.”

 

Kara and Mon-El look at each other, uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. “Anyway, Lena, I'm sure you will find _something_ to bond with him over. Zora, time for bed, sweetie,” Kara gestures toward the stairs.

 

“What? It's only 9:15! And it's Friday!”

 

“Just go brush your teeth,” Mon-El growls, with fatherly authority. Pouting and muttering to herself that she can't even _get_ tooth decay, Zora trudges up towards her room.

 

“So…you guys make parenting look _really_ fun. Thanks.” Lena snarks, causing her friends to simultaneously roll their eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena has a brilliant idea for how to bring A.J. out of his shell.

“I made breakfast,” James says to A.J. as the young man emerges, shirtless, in his plaid pajama bottoms, with a massive case of bed head. He's a skinny kid, lanky with long arms like an orangutan. He reminds James a little of himself at that age, before his muscles filled in. Lena apparently has some special project to set up at LCorp, which he's hoping will give him a chance to have some one-on-one time with A.J.

 

“‘Kay,” the teen grumbles, rubbing his eyes. He sits down at their glass kitchen table and pours himself a cup of coffee. James can't help wondering if he actually likes coffee or is just trying to seem more grown up than he actually is.

 

“How do you like your eggs?”

 

“Coddled, sous vide.”

 

James stops, turning away from the cast iron pan in front of him, and stares at the boy. “Uh, I don't think I know how to…”

 

“I'm kidding. Overeasy is fine.”

 

 _So he_ does _have a sense of humor_ , James thinks, smirking to himself. _That's good._

 

James flips the eggs in silence, trying desperately to think of something to talk about.

 

“So…what do you do for fun?” is all he can come up with.

 

“Fun? I dunno, I guess…normal stuff. Video games and whatever. Tech stuff.” A.J. plates up fruit and bacon while he awaits his eggs, and looks down intently at the piece of toast in his hand as he slathers it with butter.

 

“Like…the kind of stuff you did for your Dad?”

 

“I… _really_ don't want to talk about him.”

 

“Right. Sorry. But, you know, if you ever did…”

 

“I don't.”

 

“...Fair enough. It's just...I lost my Dad, and I know it's not the same, but…”

 

“Not the same?” A.J. stops and tosses the toast and butter knife onto the plate. “NOT THE SAME? Wow. Okay. Well, let's see. Did your Dad want you dead?”

 

“What? What are you talking about?”

 

“Did. Your father. Want you. Dead?”

 

“A.J., I'm sure he doesn't…”

 

“Yes. He does. He told me if I ever snitched on him that I was no son of his, and that he would end me. And he meant it.” James feels a shiver go up his spine at the young man's assessment. He wants to argue that a father would never do such a thing. But then, Lex certainly isn't a normal father.

 

“But you did it anyway. Which was pretty damn brave of you.”

 

“Hardly. I was scared out of my mind. They said one way or another Dad was going down, and that I'd never see sunlight again unless I helped make their case. So I did it. To save my own skin.” He says this last bit in an odd, lilting way that causes James to raise an eyebrow in confusion. 

 

“...I don't think that's entirely true.”

 

“Well, honestly? I appreciate that you guys are giving me a place to live and all, but I don't really care what you think.”

 

“Okay. If that's how you want things to be, fine. But for the record, I _know_ you're not a bad kid. I read the file Lois and Kara put together. You had a real life once, for a little while. Or tried to, anyway. Lena was horrified about putting you in foster care, which I agree with, but you _did_ have a foster family once before. I know you grew up on the run with your mom for a while, but after she went to jail and before your father got sprung, there was the Doyles. Two sons, a daughter, and you. Ages ten to thirteen or so, was it? You got lucky. They were a nice family. Not rich, but they took care of you. I saw some photos. You playing soccer, you in the Cub Scouts. You were smiling in all of them.”

 

“Wow. Congrats, Mr. Pulitzer. You saw some pictures. Doesn't mean you know a damn thing about me.”

 

“Maybe not, but I still think you've got a lot more of Lena in you than Lex. Look, you don't have to talk to me. Ignore me if you want to. But you should give _her_ a chance. Because she knows what Lex is better than anyone. She knows what it's like to hate what he's become but love him anyway. And he's actually _tried_ to have her killed once, so she knows something about that, too. You guys…you have a chance to be a family. I wouldn't waste it if I were you.”

 

A.J. sits in silence for a moment. “You know what? I think I'll take you up on the whole ‘ignoring you’ thing.” He stands from the table, grabs his coffee, and strides back to his room.

 

James sighs, defeated, and stands there for a moment holding the plate of eggs, feeling like an idiot. “Don't you want…”

 

“I'm not hungry,” he hears in reply, before the door slams shut.

 

********

 

“Ta-Da!” Lena exclaims, using that expression for possibility the first time in her entire life.

 

“Ta...what?” A.J. stares at a dusty corner of the basement at LCorp, where his aunt has just flicked on the lights. There's a couple of tables covered in old equipment and bins of spare parts, old hard drives and various other electronic junk. On the wall is a pegboard already organized with everything from nuts and bolts to loose microchips. There's a brand new laptop with two monitors and a keyboard on one table, as well as a large tool chest with a cabinet on top.

 

“It's your new tech lab! You can use it to build whatever you want. I have an old friend who runs the robotics lab at Metropolis U., and she was kind enough to send me some surplus supplies and equipment. The laptop is new, of course. And whatever else you need, just let me know.”

 

A.J. sighs, with an air of exhaustion usually exhibited by someone much older than his sixteen years. “Aunt Lena, you didn't have to…”

 

“I know I didn't. I wanted to. Look, I've got sixteen years of birthdays and Christmases to make up for, okay? Let me start with this. Plus…we can come here after school, you can  show me what you're working on, we can bounce ideas off each other...I mean, robotics isn't my specific area of expertise, but I'm a pretty good problem solver.”

 

“That's…really, um, nice of you, but don't you think I should, like, do some more…normal stuff after school? Play a sport or something?”

 

Lena tries hard to quell the bubble of disappointment in her gut at his muted reaction. “Oh…I didn't know you were into sports. What were you thinking of, basketball? You're tall enough, I'm sure.”

 

“Uh, well…actually I hadn't really thought it through. I've...never really played basketball, and I think the season started like a month ago,” he concedes. “I…played soccer when I was younger.”

 

“I don't think soccer starts until the fall. There's probably tennis in the spring. I could teach you, I used to play…with your Dad, actually...” Lena awkwardly trails off. She really hadn't meant to bring _him_ up.

 

“...Maybe…”

 

“Well, until then, why don't you just plan to come here? At least for a while. See if you like it. Plus you have a school break coming up, don't you?”

 

“Yeah, it's just…”

 

“What?”

 

“I haven't really had a chance to…you know, make any friends at school. And I can't really do that sitting here by myself at a desk.”

 

“Actually, I think you can. I know someone your age who might be interested in being your…lab partner, so to speak.”

 

A.J. turns to her in surprise. “You do? Who?”

 

“Friend of the family.” Though she doesn't specify which family she's talking about, Lena holds up her phone like it's a piece of candy she's dangling in front of a toddler. “Say yes, and I'll give them a call,” she sing-songs.

 

The younger Luthor exhales, realizing there's no getting out of this. “Okay. Sure. Thank you.”

 

Lena breaks into a massive, ear-to-ear grin, and A.J. can't help but crack a small smile in return.

 

“It's gonna be great! I'll call her right now,” Lena gushes.

 

“Her?”

 

Lena winks at him. Actually winks at him. “You'll see.”

 

He watches her turn to walk away as she picks up her cell and dials a number. “Hi, Allie? It's Aunt Lena. Are you free after school tomorrow? I have kind of a fun project I'm working on…”

 

A.J. simply stares as she marches away, long hair swishing back and forth, and shakes his head.

 

_Oh, God, what did I just do?_


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Danvers/Kent clan has a conversation about Lena's plan to help A.J.

“For Rao's sake, Mom. You called Cousin Clark in for this? Don't you think you're all, oh, I dunno, _massively_ overreacting? I mean, is this supposed to be an intervention or something?” Allie snarks. “It's just an after school hangout. We'll build…like, a Roomba or whatever and then I'll speed right home.”

 

“Of course not, love, it's just that this young man is…” Kara attempts to calm her daughter.

 

“What? A Luthor? Aunt Lena says he's nice and he really needs some 'peer bonding time’ or however she put it.” Allie's exaggerated air quotes only serve to underscore how absurd she finds this entire conversation.

 

Kara sighs. “Look, honey, I was first in line to give Lena the benefit of the doubt. But there's a difference here. He was actually _involved_ in his father's schemes.”

 

“He's a kid! Like me! The feds wouldn't have let him walk if they thought he was an actual danger to anyone.”

 

“Yeah, well, maybe they _shouldn't_ have,” Clark intercedes, pacing back and forth. He's the only one of them in uniform, and despite the fact that he's not technically the strongest person in the room, he still strikes quite an imposing figure. “You _do_ know what he was helping his father do, right? Red sun nanobots? He was working on tech _specifically_ _designed_ to hurt _our_ family. Let alone God knows how many other people. And what if it had gone wrong? Gotten out? Blocking the yellow sun could have caused mass extinctions! Imperiled the entire planet! My God, I mean, who knows _what_ awful things Lex has taught him over the years, how much influence he's had on the boy? And _now_ Lena's given him his own mini mad scientist lab!”

 

Kara exhales and makes eye contact with her husband, who's been standing coolly on the periphery throughout this entire discussion. “Don't look at me, I'm with Clark. I don't like this one bit. And I'm frankly kind of appalled not only that Lena would think this was a good idea, but that she'd go ahead and invite our child into this boy's life without even thinking to _ask_ either of us first.”

 

“She's been a parent for like two weeks, Mon-El. I don't think she's quite sorted out the code just yet,” Kara says.

 

“Code?” Allie asks.

 

“You'll understand if and when you have kids, honey. Parents respect each other's authority. Like if you see someone else's child doing something dangerous, you're obligated to let their mom and dad know so they can deal with it,” her father explains.

 

Kara's long-ingrained instinct to defend Lena kicks into high gear. “Look, she means well.”

 

“She always does,” Mon-El replies, firmly but without any hostility.

 

“Okay, maybe she…doesn't have the best track record with trying to fix other people's lives. And she sometimes doesn't think things all the way through. I acknowledge that.”

 

“But this time we're talking about our _daughter_. Who's a superpowered alien that undoubtedly would be on his father's _hit list_ if he ever found out she existed.”

 

“And who's still standing _right here_ , by the way. Do I not have a say in this?” Allie interrupts.

 

“Yes, of course you do, honey,” Kara reassures.

 

“And so do _I,_  Allie,” Superman grumbles. “Don't forget this affects all of us. I've fought long and hard, for many years, to keep Lex from finding out who I am. To protect the people I love. Including all of _you_. Not to mention Lois and Jonathan. Now, I didn't get involved when your mom befriended Lena. Or when she told Lena all your identities, _without_ consulting me, by the way.” He side-eyes Kara here, who sighs deeply as Clark raises his hands in front of him, a peacemaking gesture. “But that's okay, we sorted it out. And eventually I realized Lena was an ally and I came out to her myself.”

 

“I'm not the only one who does things unilaterally, Clark. You could have told me before the arrests that the cops were going to pick up BOTH Luthors.”

 

“I know. You're right, I'm sorry. I just...I was _sure_ the boy would end up in prison. And I didn't want you to have that on your conscience. Lex…he's been my nemesis for so long. He feels like _my_ responsibility. I'm the one who nabbed him last time, and I didn't do enough to make sure he stayed locked up. If I had, he never would have had the chance to corrupt that boy. The kid would never have been involved with Lex's plans. And everyone, including Junior…”

 

“A.J.” Allie interrupts. The adults stare at her. “What? That's what he's going by now, apparently. His initials. Can't say I blame him.”

 

“Right. Anyway, if I _had,_ he would've stayed _safe._ ” Clark bows his head remorsefully. Kara looks at her cousin, crinkling her brow with love and sympathy. She knows this feeling all too well.

 

“We're _sure_ Lex doesn't already know, right?” Mon-El asks. “I mean, Lillian never told him?”

 

Clark shakes his head. “No. Trust me, he'd have come after you long ago if she had. That was Lillian's most tightly-held secret. She loved having it as leverage over you. I'm sure she _would_ have told Lex if they'd been out of prison at the same time, but luckily she died before she ever got the chance.”

 

“So what are you all so afraid of?” Allie asks. “If Lex is in jail for good, Lillian is dead, and he's with Aunt Lena and Uncle James now, who you trust…”

 

“It's still a risk, honey,” her father responds. “Even if--and that's a _big_ if--it turns out his motivations are entirely good. He's a target. Lex’s network has deep roots. He could still have henchmen on the payroll. They could be following the kid, or otherwise keeping tabs. Or maybe…”

 

“...Maybe you three are all okay with writing off a sixteen-year-old who never had a real choice in ANY of this. You think he wanted to be Lex's flunkie? He probably just wanted to be a regular kid. With a regular father.”

 

“You don't even know him, Allie,” Kara chides. “And neither do Lena and James, really. Not yet anyway.”

 

“ _You_ don't either. So how about I go spend some time with him and see what kind of person he is? Besides, Lena's his legal guardian now. What are you gonna do, Mom? Cut your best friend out of your life as long as he's around? Isn't this kind of inevitable?”

 

“Allie, why is this so important to you? Why are you fighting so hard to help some boy you haven't even met?”

 

Allie shrugs. “You guys won't let me go stop bank robbers or rescue people from burning buildings yet. But…maybe this is someone I can save. Just by being his friend. Hope, help and compassion, right?”

 

Kara realizes she's run out of arguments, and she glances over at her husband and cousin, who are still standing, arms crossed, with matching looks of concern on their faces.

 

“You already called Lena to talk to her about this, right? What did she say exactly?” Mon-El asks, glancing at Clark.

 

Kara groans. “She got a little defensive when I confronted her about not asking first. I honestly don't think it occurred to her this would even be a concern for us. You know how she can get tunnel vision when she's trying to hone in on a fix for a problem. She pulled the ‘you lied to me for years’ card. Which I informed her she gets to use exactly _once._ And I said we'd all talk about it.”

 

“Well, we've talked. So…?” Allie looks at her parents and cousin, expectantly.

 

“What if he recognizes you? From the warehouse collapse?” Clark points out.

 

“You don't think a hood and a thick mask of soot, ash and grime was a good enough disguise, Mr. Glasses-and-hair-parted-the-other-way?”

 

Clark lets out a huff with enough oomph to make the windows rattle a little. “Boy am I dreading Jonathan's teen years,” he muses aloud. “Okay, if your parents are comfortable with this…”

 

“Comfortable is not the right word for what I'm feeling about this. But...fine. Allie, I trust your judgment,” Mon-El says. “Now, you can text Lena if you want, but then get ready for bed, okay?”

 

“Okay. Have fun continuing to talk about me when I go upstairs.” Allie says over her shoulder as she trots up to her room.

 

The adults’ heads all droop with a collective exhale when she leaves.

 

“So…are you both really all right with this?” Kara asks, with some amount of trepidation.

 

“NO,” They say in unison.

 

All three of them stand around in awkward silence for a few moments, Mon-El shaking his head as Clark rubs the bridge of his nose.

 

“I have a thought…but you may not like it,” Mon-El says.

 

“Oh, Rao. What?” Kara asks nervously.

 

“Well, Eve is running the LCorp Science Division there now. It wouldn't be that strange for Winn to stop by to visit his wife.”

 

“You want him to be our _spy_?”

 

“I'm not gonna ask him to wiretap the kid or anything. Call him a…chaperone. Just to watch and let us know if anything seems off.”

 

“Lena and Eve will be there, you know.”

 

“Eve will be busy working and I think we've established that Lena has some rose-colored glasses on when it comes to her nephew. Besides, I suspect she'll give them a wide berth so they can 'bond’, right?” Mon-El employs Allie's air quote tactic.

 

“I don't know. Clark, what do you think?”

 

“I'd…feel a little better with someone else on our side there,” Clark says.

 

“Allie will see right through it. Maybe Lena too,” Kara warns.

 

“I don't care. As long as we've got eyes on the situation,” Mon-El shrugs.

 

“...Okay. I'll call him.”

 

Clark nods, a little relieved--very little. “Thank you, Kara. Listen, I need to get home soon, but do you mind if I chat one on one with Allie before I go?” Kara and Mon-El nod at their cousin, who strolls upstairs and raps tentatively on Allie's bedroom door.

 

“Can I come in?” he asks, a little sheepishly when she answers.

 

“Sure, if you want,” Allie replies. Superman comes in and sits on her desk chair, turning and facing her expectantly, until she takes the hint and sits down on the edge of the bed.

 

“Listen, I know you probably think your parents and I are being overprotective here.”

 

“Yeah, I _really_ do.”

 

“Allie…you have to understand. I was all alone on this planet once. The lone survivor of Krypton. As far as I knew, anyway. I thought I would never find anyone else like me. And when your mother showed up…it was a gift. A miracle. After so many years alone I _finally_ had a connection to a living, breathing person from my world. And then eventually there was your Dad, and then you and your siblings, and your cousin Conner, and even your Uncle Eltro. And now I have Lois and Jonathan, too. Plus Argo and Kara's mom, and...my point is, you have no idea what it means to me to not be alone any more. How important all of you are to me. And that day when you and your brother got trapped in Lex's lab...it was terrifying for me. I'd never get over it if I lost any of you. And I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to you because of one of my enemies.”

 

“I understand.” She nods her head slowly. “But my Mom and Dad have always taught me that I should follow my heart. And my heart tells me this is someone who needs help. So I'm gonna try.”

 

He sighs, resigned. “I know you are. But use your head, too. Okay?”

 

“Okay. I will. Promise.”

 

He gets up to leave, then turns back just as he's about to walk through the door. “Are you sure you're not just bewitched by his dreamy eyes?” he snickers.

 

“You know what, Superman? Has anyone you've rescued ever told you that you're very, very annoying?” She rolls her eyes and launches a pillow at him, which he speed-dodges with a chuckle, and departs.

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allie and A.J. have their first not-a-date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so I was sort of picturing A.J. as a teenage James Marsden and Allie as teen Evan Rachel Wood. Or maybe I've just been watching too much Westworld. 
> 
> Let the meet-cuting begin!

When she arrives, Lena is there waiting for her at the check-in desk at LCorp. She's clearly excited. Almost bouncing a little…not a look Allie has ever seen on her normally cool and collected honorary Aunt.

 

“I can't wait for you to meet him. He's really very sweet. And smart!”

 

Allie stifles a laugh at Lena's unusual demeanor, schooling her face into a polite and pleasant but nonetheless serious expression.

 

When she walks into the room, he's already working on assembling the hydraulic components for what appears to be a robotic arm. Intent on his task, Allie can't help but notice that he adorably sticks his tongue out one side of his mouth in concentration while screwing together piece after piece of hardware. She presses her lips together to quell a smile at his mannerism. _Damn it, he's as cute as I remember_ , she thinks, half-wishing he wasn't. She feels a few stray butterflies take wing in her stomach, waiting for him to notice her. However, he doesn't appear to have registered their approach at all, and startles when Lena taps his shoulder.

 

“Oh! Uh, hey,” he sees his aunt first, and then his eyes alight on Allie, and go wide. He gulps noticeably, his deep browns meeting her icy blues. “Heeeey. So…you're…”

 

She smiles, suddenly a little shy. “Allie. Allie Danvers. So...A.J., right? Guess I'm your trusty lab assistant, then...?”

 

“No, no,” he waves his hands in front of him, dismissively. “Not assistant. Partner. Lab partner. Um, I can show you what I've been doing. If you want.”

 

“Well, that's more or less why I'm here. So… yeah, sure!”

 

“I'll leave you two at it, then. But I'll just be upstairs in my office if you need me, okay? And Eve is over in the main lab running trials on harun-el samples. One day we're gonna make some _actual_ progress on that, I swear.”

 

“Harun-el?” A.J. wonders aloud.

 

“Nothing, not important. Have fun, guys!” Lena giddily darts out of the room like a scared rabbit, leaving the teens to their own devices.

 

“I'm... _so_ sorry about her,” A.J. says, covering his face with his hands.

 

Allie chuckles. “It's fine. Aunt Lena's always been a little...overenthusiastic around the younger set. I'll admit, this is kind of a new level, though.”

 

“You call her 'Aunt’?” A.J. drops his hands and cocks his head to one side, curious.

 

“I've known her since I was five. Uncle James, too. They're close with my Mom and Dad.”

 

He nods, understanding. _This is a family obligation for her_ , he infers. “Hey, you know, we don't have to actually build anything from this junk Lena got me. Most of it's outdated and not particularly useful anyway. I'm just…trying to humor her.”

 

“I sort of gathered that. I don't mind, though. Honestly.”

 

“Really? You aren't even a little put off about being set up on a playdate with some nerdy weirdo you don't even know whose biggest life achievement is ‘avoiding a treason conviction?’” Unsure what she actually knows about his back story, he watches her closely to gauge her reaction to this information. 

 

Allie does an exaggerated shrug, unfazed. “Meh. Most of the guys I know from school think eating a Quadruple Stack Mondo Meal from Big Belly Burger in one sitting is a life achievement, so I'd say you're doing okay.” She hops up to sit on his table, which rattles the equipment. Probably more than it should have. She makes a mental note to be gentler next time.

 

He cracks up at her joke, a proper belly laugh, easing some of the anxiety he's had in his gut since before he ever came to this place; to these people. Anxiety which has been heightened since this _very_ pretty girl with wavy golden hair and enormous blue eyes walked into the room. It dawns on him that it's the first time he's laughed, _really_ laughed, since…truthfully, he can't remember when. He suddenly realizes he's staring at her. And she's staring back.

 

Breaking the spell, he directs his attention back to his project. “So…if you want, I guess you can help me attach these wires to this circuit board. I don't suppose you know how to use a soldering iron?”

 

“Nope. Teach me,” she replies, eager to show she's game for...whatever it is they're doing.

 

They work on the robo-arm for a while, chatting about television, school, and things they've enjoyed on the internet. Wild animal encounter videos are apparently a favorite for them both.

 

They're about to take a break to hit the LCorp cafeteria--which coincidentally (and definitely _not_ at the suggestion of one overly attentive aunt) just last week began to serve what turns out to be their mutual favorite pizza, ham and pineapple, when…

 

“Hey, kids!”

 

“Oh, uh, hey Uncle Winn. What brings you here...” Allie asks in a monotone, knowing full well what he's doing.

 

“Nothin’. Just popped in to see the ol’ ball and chain...actually...I didn't mean that, don't tell her I used that phase. Respect for women, amirite?” He looks at the pair, clearly expecting a reaction. They just stare at him blankly. “Uh, anyhoo…just saying hello. Whatcha workin’ on?”

 

“An autonomous arm to help me with future projects. Since, you know, my partner here might be busy next time,” the young Luthor says.

 

Allie smiles at A.J. almost affectionately, and his breath catches, noticing.

 

“We were just gonna go get…” Allie starts.

 

“...Wow, is this a Colvins Series 9 Oscilloscope?” Winn asks, like a kid in a toy store. “Dude, I _begged_ Lena to upgrade to one of these, they're the best. Mind if I give it a whirl?”

 

A.J. steps aside from his workbench, gesturing welcomingly. “Have at it, uh...Uncle Winn, was it?” Turning to Allie, he teases, “Anyone around here you're _not_ unofficially related to?”

 

Allie rolls her eyes, then glares at Winn, who's still fiddling with the lab equipment. “We're fine here, if you were worried.”

 

“What, me, worry? Naaah. Just haven't seen my favorite babysitter in a hot minute. Do the kids still say ‘hot minute?’” Winn smiles amiably, in his innocuous, dad-like way. She knows it well, having not only spent many holidays and family occasions in close proximity to the Schott clan, but also having become the go-to sitter for their five- and seven-year old daughters, Kerry and Monica. She loves doing it, mostly because she adores the children, but also since two years ago, her parents finally relented to her request to let her use her power of flight--exclusively to and from the Schott residence. As close as she and Uncle Winn have always been, she somewhat resents the fact that her parents have more than once enlisted him in their various shenanigans, which can veer into overbearing at times. Whatever's happening right now clearly falls under that category.

 

 _Sigh._  “You know what? Why don't I go grab the pizza and bring it back up here?” Allie decides, sliding off her stool and heading out the door, without even looking at either male present.

 

A.J. watches her go with disappointment. Having a meal, together, at a table--even a crappy laminant table in a corporate food court--would have felt like...an actual date. Not that he'd know, never having been _on_ one. Life with Dear Old Dad had meant an all-boys private school and essentially no social life. Unless you count making contacts on the darknet to suss out suppliers of illicit tech products.

 

He shakes off the thought, kicking himself internally for letting his mind even go there. He knows what his future holds, and it certainly doesn't include dates and fun times with cute girls. Even girls with a delightfully biting sense humor who've already, in one short afternoon, brought an unexpected but very welcome ray of sunshine into his otherwise dismal world. No amount of daydreaming is going to change the path he's on. Or his plans. He knows the allure and peril of false hope, and has sworn to himself never to succumb to it. Besides, she's _waaaaay_ out of his league. Girls like her don't end up with twisted freaks like the son of Lex Luthor.

 

“You okay, there, buddy?” Winn asks, noticing the fall of the young man's face at her departure.

 

“I'm good.” He sits down at his terminal and starts typing away, hoping the older man will take the hint and leave him be.

 

“I used to do a lot of work over in this corner,” Winn starts. “Back when I was helping out here, years ago, before my wife got hired here to...aaannd you don't care.” He watches the boy close down, try to shut him out, focus on the screen in front of him.

 

“No, it's super fascinating. Please continue,” A.J. deadpans, his forehead mere inches from the screen now.

 

“Is this what you'd do to try and hide from your Dad? Pretend you were working on something important?”

 

A.J.'s head drops, narrowly missing a collision with the monitor. “Jesus. Why are all the adults around here under the impression I want to bare my soul about being the spawn of a supervillain?”

 

“Well, from one evil-dad-spawn to another, I find developing a sense of humor about it really helps.”

 

A.J.’s spine straightens as he swivels his chair to face this odd man. “Your father was…”

 

“Toyman. Winslow Schott, Senior. Google him. He, uh, hurt a lot of people. And I get to share a _name_ with him, super fun, right? But... _you_ know all about that.”

 

“...Why didn't you change it, like I did?”

 

Winn shrugs. “What difference would it make, really? Would it change what he did? What I went through because of him? Nah, your dad is who he is. Besides, it's _my_ freaking name. It's not my fault he turned into a psycho. If anyone should be changing names it's him.”

 

“Is he still…”

 

“No, he's dead.”

 

“Lucky you.”

 

“Weird as it is to say, yeah, I am lucky. For that. Brought my mom back into my life.”

 

“Well, my mom's in prison. And frankly she was nearly as bad as he was.”

 

“So how'd you turn into...this?”

 

“What?”

 

“I dunno...normal?”

 

“I'm not normal. And you don't know me.”

 

“No, but I know Allie. She wouldn't be wasting her time with someone who wasn't worth the effort.”

 

He turns back to his screen, shaking his head. “She's just here because her parents made her come.”

 

“Are you kidding? Her parents were _pissed_ when they found out Lena invited her.”

 

“They were? Then why…?” he wonders aloud, lifting his eyes back in Winn's general direction, though not actually meeting his eyes. Rather, he stares at the wall, mouth open in confusion.

 

Winn freezes, realizing he's said too much. “You know what? I'm gonna just…go find my wife. But I'll check back in with you guys before I leave, cool?”

 

“Uh, okay. Whatever.”

 

Winn dashes out, but decides to hang out in a nearby cubicle, out of sight around a corner but, close enough to keep tabs on the kids. He's thankful Allie hasn't yet developed x-ray vision, and her enhanced hearing is only so-so. His biggest concern is her rather astute mind and powers of deduction. She's always been one of those kids who sees right through whatever nonsense adults throw at her. _Here's hoping she's distracted enough by that boy not to come over here looking,_ he thinks.

 

The young Kryptonian in question returns in short order, pizza box in one hand, and two bottles of soda in the other.

 

She finds A.J. standing there, looking at her phone. He glances up, startled by her entrance, and guilty at being caught, though he wasn't actually snooping. She puts the pizzas and sodas down on the table and sits on her stool.

 

“Sorry, I was just looking at the lock screen photo. Of your family. I wasn't trying to…” he says as he hands the device back to her.

 

“It's okay. Yeah, that's us. The Danverses. Plus my Aunt Alex and cousin Conner.”

 

“Must be nice. To have a family. A real family.”

 

“You _have_ a real family.”

 

“My family's in prison.”

 

“Not all of them.”

 

“Oh, God. Not you, too. I really wish everyone would stop pressuring me to suddenly get super close with Lena. I mean, I never even _met_ her until a couple weeks ago. It's not that I'm not grateful, you know? For everything they've done for me. It's just…”

 

“...The only parents you've had before now have been human dumpster fires that have left you behind and it's hard to trust that won't happen again?”

 

A.J. leans against his work table, crossing his arms. “You know, if you're gonna psychoanalyze me, I should probably ask Lena if I can get a couch in here.”

 

“I'm not trying to tell you what to do. I just think family…sometimes it comes from unexpected places, but when you find it, it's worth holding onto.” Allie keeps talking as she avoids eye contact by picking up the soldering iron and piece of circuit she was fiddling with earlier in the afternoon, and goes to work attaching wires with melted copper.

 

“Easy for you to say, Ms. Parents-Happily-Married-Suburban-White-Picket-Fence.”

 

She tilts her head to one side, pensive. “Well, my mom was adopted. And my Dad pretty much got taken in by my mother's family since his parents were horrible. And then they died. And my cousin's adopted, too. Plus there's my godfather, he's basically a second Dad to my parents and my Aunt Alex. So collectively, we know something about cobbling a family together.”

 

“And you? And your siblings?”

 

“What about us?”

 

“Well, your parents are so freaking young looking. Jeez, I mean  both of them could pass for under thirty. And since you're fifteen, they either started insanely early or...I mean, I wasn't gonna ask, but since we're talking about it already…are you? Adopted, I mean? I know it's none of my business, but…” he trails off.

 

 _Oh, crap._ This actually _is_ the family's official origin story for their brood. Kara and Mon-El had returned from a decade of fighting for peace and justice in the 31st century looking no older than when they'd left. However, with four young children in tow, they'd had to come up with a cover to explain the kids’ sudden presence in their lives. The best they could do was claim Kara's distant cousin had died and left them behind.

 

She turns and stares up at him like a deer in headlights, eyes practically bugging out of her skull, still holding the iron in one hand and circuit in the other. “Uhhhh…yes. I am, we just…don't talk about it much. And my parents are actually a lot older than they look. They have…you know, good genes.”

 

“...Huh.”

 

“What?”

 

“It's funny, you look _just_ like her. Your mom, I mean, right down to the blue...eyes.” Eyes he's suddenly realized he's gazing into. Eyes the color of the ocean, and just as deep.

 

He smells something burnt out of nowhere, and sees a small puff of smoke billowing up.

 

“OH MY GOD! YOUR SHIRT!” he shouts. Alarmed, Allie looks down and sees that in her moment of distraction, a blob of liquid metal from the soldering iron has dripped, burning a hole in the sleeve of her floral button-down, over her forearm.

 

Allie gasps, dropping the items in her hands, leaping up from her seat and batting at the section of smoldering fabric.

 

“Oh, God, are you okay? Let me see your arm.”

 

“It's fine, it's not…” she stammers.

 

He grabs her arm and pulls up the sleeve. Her instinct is to pull away, but she knows doing so might reveal her super strength. Plus, it occurs to her that this is the first time he's actually touched her. She feels herself blushing uncontrollably, though she's not sure if it's just from the nervousness brought on by his scrutiny, or if it's his physical proximity to her that's causing such a reaction.

 

“You're…you're actually fine. I don't see a burn anywhere.”

 

“Huh, look at that. Lucky me,” she chuckles anxiously. “Guess the metal didn't make it through to my skin.”

 

“I guess so…”

 

“You know what? I…kind of need to get going. Home, I mean.” She grabs her bag and starts backing away. He stares at her, forlornly, as the distance between them grows inch by inch.

 

“What about the pizza?”

 

“Oh. Right. Yeah, my Dad will probably have dinner waiting for me, actually. So really I shouldn't…but, um, _you_ can have it! I'll, uh, see you later, okay?” And with that, she runs out, as quickly as she can go without verging into super speed.

 

“Bye,” he slumps sadly into his seat when she's around the corner and out of sight. This wasn't an entirely unanticipated ending to this afternoon's activities, if he's honest with himself. He'd frankly half-expected whatever girl Lena had been hoping to set him up with to end up sprinting for the exit at some point to avoid having to spend another minute with a train wreck like Lex Luthor Junior. But he's not quite sure what he did, specifically, to spark her flight.

 

Curious, he turns back to his laptop and looks up her social media profile. There's not a ton on her page, but there's a few shots of her with her parents. The mom--adoptive mom, apparently--that she inexplicably looks like a clone of. And more than a few with her youngest brother. Who has grey eyes…just like her dad. Also a weird coincidence. He sighs, knowing this girl is likely going to be haunting his thoughts for quite a while.

 

 _Those eyes of hers, my God_ …

 

They're beautiful, for sure. But there's something…something he can't quite put his finger on. The weird feeling that he's seen them before.

 

He decides there's no point in hanging out here alone, so he grabs the food and heads home. At least now he has some sustenance handy, which will hopefully get him out of sharing an evening meal with Lena and James. Though dinner or no dinner, he probably can't escape the five million or so questions Aunt Lena is sure to have.

 

He steps away from his terminal, not even bothering to shut it down.

 

As soon as he's gone, Winn pops his head out from his cubicle hiding spot. He didn't at all like what he overheard of their conversation. The Legionnaire/government agent in him (or maybe it's just the Dad in him) takes over, and he sits to access the boy's laptop. Checking out his browser, he sees A.J. was looking at pictures of Allie and the family. That's…certainly not damning, but it's not reassuring, either. However, there's another tab open that really concerns him. A Google map centered on a location in a remote area of the Sierra Nevada mountains. _What could he have been looking at there?_ He quickly jots down the coordinates.

 

 _Guess the Super-scoobies have a new case to crack,_ he thinks.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, the "sticking out your tongue on one side while concentrating" is a thing my husband does, and after more than fifteen years together it still kills me every freaking time. It's adorable.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena invites herself along on a Danvers family outing...with her nephew in tow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a fun chapter! Enjoy!   
> Btw I love comments!

They float a couple hundred feet in the air, looking down at a vast, flat mountainside.

 

“Still nothing?” Mon-El asks.

 

“Not a thing. My vision can't really penetrate rock, at least not very far. Maybe ten feet or so. But I don't see any evidence of a secret lair or weapon or anything,” his wife replies.

 

“Maybe the coordinates are wrong. Or maybe it's just...nothing.”

 

“He looked up this specific location for a reason.”

 

“Well, maybe whatever was here...isn't any more.

 

“...Or he's planning something for the future. Winn says he thinks the kid is _really_ smart. Maybe smarter than Lena or Lex. Which only makes me more worried.”

 

Mon-El sighs and turns toward his mate. “Weren't you the one on the side of giving little boy Luthor the benefit of the doubt?”

 

“I was...on the fence.”

 

“That's not like you. You're usually so...decisive. I've never known anyone with more conviction than you.”

 

“I know. I'm just...torn. I've always taught Allie to see the good in people. I can't really get mad at her when she does exactly that.”

 

“But…?” he prompts.

 

“But…she's getting to that point in her life when she's gonna be making adult decisions…with adult consequences. And you're right, this boy is an unknown quantity. It's a risk to have him in our lives.”

 

“You took a leap of faith befriending Lena. And you were right about her.”

 

“Yeah, but back then I was only putting _myself_ at risk. Well, plus Clark I suppose. But I didn't have four kids, and a nephew, and cousin Jonathan to worry about. And _you,_  of course.” She pecks him on the cheek. “But ...weren't  _you_ on the side of _not_ giving him the benefit the doubt?”

 

He takes her hands as they continue to float. “It's not that I don't want to. I mean, the kids aren't the only ones that learned from you how to see the good in people.” He smiles at her with a sight twinkle in his eye. “But this whole situation puts my Dad senses on high alert, and I want to make sure we're being vigilant.”

 

She rolls her shoulders, exhaling loudly, and nods as he continues. “Listen, I _am_ concerned about the boy. Very concerned. Especially now that she's piqued his interest and he's…asking questions.” Mon-El grimaces. “All that said, maybe this isn't just about him.”

 

“What do you mean?” she wonders.

 

“Well, per your earlier observation, she's growing up. She's not our little girl any more. We can't protect her forever. At some point, we have to just let her go, and trust that we taught her everything she needs to know to protect herself.”

 

“She's only fifteen. She's not a grown up yet. Besides, didn't you _just_ tell Lena that parenting doesn't end when they become a legal adult?”

 

“Of course not, and we'll always be there to support her. But she has to carve out her own path in life. And for her that might mean...taking chances on people like Lex Luthor Junior. I mean, it's what _you_ would do, isn't it?”

 

“...Probably.”

 

“...Uh, definitely,” he smiles, then his face falls. “I know it's scary. Sending her out into the world. Especially for us, knowing she's going to be doing exactly the kinds of things _we_ do. And we've probably been more than a little spoiled by having indestructible children. Not having to worry about everyday injuries, or sickness, like humans do.”

 

“That's true. It's hard to flip that switch. To suddenly have to get used to having her in high-risk situations.”

 

“Well,” he sighs. “Maybe it's not the worst thing that we're transitioning with a medium-sized, teenage-boy-shaped risk.”

 

“I guess. Though, for the record? She's always gonna be my little girl. No matter how old she gets.”

 

His face blooms with his patented goofy grin. “Mine, too.”

 

“Yeah, she _is_ kind of a Daddy's girl, isn't she? Zora, too, for that matter.”

 

“Ha, ha.” Then, after a beat, “Do you…do you really think so?” He beams dreamily.

 

“I've heard you call them both Princess once or twice when you think I'm out of earshot. Which, by the way, I'm _never_ out of earshot.”

 

“...Well, I mean _technically_ speaking, they are of royal blood, and the boys too, so all of them really are…”

 

Scoffing, his lovely Queen flicks him on the shoulder and takes to the sky.

 

********

 

“Why can't we just fly, Daddy?” Zora whines as they barrel down the freeway in their family minivan. Which is not _actually_ a Dodge Caravan, but rather a shape-shifting spaceship on long-term loan from Papa J'onn. “Just this once, it's a special occasion!”

 

“You know why. For the same reason as always. We're supposed to be human. And when humans go to theme parks, they drive. And get overcharged for parking.”

 

“But it's gonna take like an extra _hour_ that way.”

 

“Less than that. It'll be fine, I promise.”

 

“Yeah, but we still gotta pick up Mom. Rao, I can't believe she got called into the office today of all days.”

 

“Well, your mom is pretty fast. She got there the crack of dawn and she said it would be quick, so she's probably done by now. Don't worry, the park isn't even open yet. Besides, the point of today is for all of us to be together, not to squeeze in as many rollercoaster rides as possible.” Zora collapses in defeat, relenting to her father's argument.

 

Xander, Zora's twin, side-eyes his sister as he taps on the buttons of his hand-held video game console. “I'm surprised you care so much. I mean I can't imagine thrill rides are that much different than when Mom and Dad fly us places. Or Allie.” Of the four Danvers children, only Allie had really come into her powers. They were all strong, and invulnerable, but only the eldest had additionally mastered speeding, cold breath, and flight. Eleven-year-old John had superhearing and x-ray vision, but the twins could only speed for short bursts, and none of their other powers had yet manifested. Not that they were in a particular rush, having spent their young lives more concerned with human pursuits, like video games.

 

“No comment,” Allie snarks from the back seat, where she and John have been playing mad libs. Though all the siblings were close, Allie and John had a special bond, and could often be found off doing their own activities together.

 

Zora glares over her shoulder at her big sister, then returns her gaze to her father. “Yeah, well, there's other stuff, too. 4D movies. And...I like Beebo, okay? There, I said it.”

 

“Oh, really? I couldn't tell that from the fact that you still have Beebo sheets on your bed and you sleep with a stuffed one every night. Or at least a ratty looking plush ball that _used_ to be a stuffed blue bear...thing.”

 

“Whatever, dork. No one likes Beebo more than you. I've heard you singing his theme song in the shower...Beeeeeebo...Cuddly Beebo…He's the huggiest guy around…”

 

“Hey!”

 

Mon-El sighs, slightly exasperated, though this really isn't particularly egregious behavior by his offspring. “Guys! We're almost to Catco. Can you all just behave today? It's your mom's Earth birthday and we're all going to focus on making it special for her. Okay?”

 

Without even looking up, they all collectively raise a hand to their respective foreheads in salute. Mon-El shakes his head, with that all-too familiar parental feeling that's a weird mixture of pride and annoyance.

 

When they step out of the elevator onto the floor of Kara's office, they're in for an Earth-birthday surprise.

 

Lena and A.J. stand there next to Kara, the younger Luthor looking utterly humiliated, one hand half-covering his face. Though he perks up noticeably when Allie strides up. Lena is dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, not exactly her usual attire, and certainly not at her place of business.

 

Mon-El and Kara stare at each other, both their sets of lips pressed together. After nearly twenty years of marriage, they are able to communicate silently, and based on the look of irritation on her face, Mon-El immediately apprises the situation: Lena has managed to invite herself and her nephew along on the Danvers’ family outing. He makes a mental note to give James a hard time at some point for not giving them a heads-up about this.

 

Lena is all smiles. “Hi, guys! Hope you don't mind, but I was telling Kara that neither A.J. nor I have ever been to Beeboland before. So she suggested…”

 

Kara, out of Lena's line of sight, shakes her head to indicate clearly she in fact did NOT suggest anything of the sort.

 

“...that we join you! But good news, we can take the LCorp helicopter and be there in no time! Plus I got us VIP passes. Sooo...who wants to ride the Blue Looper!”

 

The younger children erupt in exclamations of “Sweet!” and “No way!”

 

Allie stays silent, as she and A.J. stare at each other. Mon-El, noticing their eye contact, grumbles internally and starts compiling a  mental list of ways he can keep them separate today.

 

Standing in line for the first ride of the day makes it obvious that is going to be impossible. Kara and Mon-El share anxious glances as they watch their daughter and the boy in question shyly make conversation, Allie twirling a lock of her own hair around her finger, before busting out in a peal of giggles at some sarcastic remark about math, of all things. Math!

 

 _She never laughs at_ _MY_ _math puns_ , Mon-El pouts to himself.

 

As the line creeps forward, and Lena's momentarily distracted chatting with Kara about work stuff, Mon-El turns to his three younger children, wrangling then into a conspiratorial huddle.

 

“Hey, how do you guys feel about turning the little sibling obnoxiousness up a few notches today, huh?” he whispers, jerking his head almost imperceptibly in the general direction of their eldest sister.

 

Xander raises one eyebrow, then nods and answers, “I feel pretty good about it.”

 

John is less convinced. “Dad, I would just let them be if I were you,” he warns.

 

“Psh, why? Getting in the way of those two making googly eyes at each other sounds funner than most of the rides here,” Zora chuckles.

 

“In the immortal words of Luke Skywalker, ‘This is not going to go the way you think,’” John shakes his head and punctuates his opinion by wagging his finger at each of them in turn.

 

Mon-El side-eyes his younger son, ushering the twins over toward the teenage duo.

 

Zora sidles up to her big sis, hopping up on a metal railing next to them. “Hey, Allie, remember when I dared you to eat ten hot dogs and you threw up all over the place?” Mortified, the eldest Danvers stares daggers at her little sister.

 

“Oh, man, that was almost as gross as the time she was changing Jonathan's diaper and he totally peed in her hair!” Xander cracks up at the memory. Allie's eyes bug out, staring at the two of them like they're two horrible imposters who have somehow replaced her beloved siblings.

 

“I’m sorry, I don't know what's wrong with them,” she groans, dropping her face into her hands.

 

A.J. nods slowly, lips pressed together, trying not to laugh. “My guess is they think somehow I'll like you less if they point out you're an actual person. But joke's on them, they're doing you a favor. Because honestly, I was starting to think maybe you weren't human.”

 

Allie's throat goes dry, and she feels like she's had the wind knocked out of her. Her siblings go quiet as well.

 

“What? What are you…what?” she stammers.

 

He's smiling ear to ear at her flustered reaction, laughing lightly. “For real, I was imagining maybe somehow an actual angel fell to Earth and ended up in Midvale.”

 

She relaxes slightly, then wonders, “I don't remember mentioning I lived in Midvale.”

 

He shrugs. “Lena told me.”

 

Allie nods slowly. “Asking around about me, then, are we?”

 

“I may have done a...little digging. Not stalker-level, I promise, but...well, I was always taught to vet new people before I let them get close to me. Not that it came up often. Besides, you know, some of your recent behavior raises some questions.”

 

“Uh, which behavior would that be?” she asks, scoffing a bit but genuinely curious.

 

“You seem to have a strange affinity for hanging out with Luthors. Honestly, you might want to reevaluate your life choices.” He clucks his tongue at her, as she giggles and pops him on the shoulder. Very lightly.

 

Behind them, Kara leans over and whispers in her husband's ear. “Well, guess that backfired.”

 

He looks at her, unamused. The two of them then glance at Lena, who is currently the living embodiment of the phrase “tickled pink” as she gazes affectionately at the teens.

 

Three coasters and a log flume later, Kara decides she's had just about enough of the scheme-duel her husband and best friend seem to be having. Mon-El has now made at least four attempts to separate the two or at least infuse some awkwardness into their general vicinity. Bad jokes, anecdotes about Allie's childhood, even a mention about the fact that she's secretly scared of caterpillars. The twins have helped here and there by ratcheting up their annoyingness to previously unseen levels. Meanwhile, Lena has made every effort to push the two together, buying them a cotton candy to share (claiming, hilariously, that it was the last one available in the entire park), and pointing out things they have in common.

 

Finally, at lunchtime, Kara drags the two adults into the gift shop to hash all this out.

 

“Enough, okay? This is _my_ Earth birthday, and you two are ruining it! Can we just call a truce for the rest of the afternoon? Please?” she implores.

 

“What do you mean? Who's fighting?” Lena huffs, ponytail swaying to punctuate her ostensibly rhetorical question.

 

Mon-El, realizing already that arguing won't help matters, rolls his eyes at Lena and acquiesces. “Okay, I'll be good. No more Dad jokes. Or...other stuff. You're right, it's your day.”

 

Lena sighs, trying to muster some of her customary dignified maturity that seems to have ebbed from her general demeanor over the course of the day. “Fine. I'll hang back. But for the record, it's not my fault they like each other. And I don't see why you two are making such a big deal about it. _I_ for one think it's nice they're friends.”

 

Kara rubs her temples, then throws her hands up and shakes her head lightly, the universal gesture for “I give up.”

 

When they return to the kids, however, two members of their party are notably missing. The younger three Danvers children still sit there at the picnic table, chewing on chicken fingers and hot dogs.  

 

“What the hell, guys? Where'd they go?” Kara demands.

 

“Probably off kissing somewhere,” Xander replies nonchalantly, to his parents’ vast irritation.

 

John looks at his brother with almost as much annoyance. “They wanted to ride the Demon Master, but I'm not tall enough, so I told them to go ahead without us. And we'll meet up with them after.”

 

“John! _Why_ would you do that?” Mon-El asks, flabbergasted.

 

“Because! Whatever is going on between them is something they need to figure out for themselves. And all the pushing and pulling in the world by you three meddlers isn't going to affect the outcome, is it? They'll either decide they like each other, or they'll realize they ought to just be friends. And frankly, I'd rather they sort it out sooner rather than later so we can be done with all this and just go back to the _regular_ drama in our lives.” He dips a handful of fries in ranch dressing and gobbles them down.

 

Mon-El crosses his arms and turns away from his son, unable to argue.

 

“Stupid smart children,” he finally gets out.

 

Kara tilts her head and looks at him over her shoulder. “You know you just…”

 

“Yes, I heard it. And you know what? I stand by that statement.”

 

Lena simply stands there, trying to suppress her elation at the turn of events. Her smirking only worsens when, as they clean up and begin walking toward the next ride on their itinerary, they see Allie and A.J. returning to rejoin them.

 

Holding hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've made it a personal goal to try and work Beebo into as many of my stories as possible. :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heart to heart talks abound.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't read my other stuff, Kara dated Ray Palmer from legends for a couple months before she and Mon found their way back to each other. 
> 
> Mon-El was sad and jealous about it.

“Can we talk about, like, _literally_ anything else?” Conner pleads as he and John tap their game consoles, intent on racking up gold coins on behalf of Mario and Luigi. “Any topic at all. Make a case for the unexpected hidden virtues of Smash Mouth and Nickelback. Anything, seriously.”

 

“I kind of doubt it. This is pretty much where her head's at these days,” John replies. Allie elbows her brother in the ribs, but doesn't dispute the point. “I mean, geez, you run off to see him all the time and on the days you're _not_ out wherever you guys go to stare longingly at each other, I gotta have _this_ conversation over and over. Take a day off once in a while, will ya?”

 

Allie huffs at her sibling. “I just think there's more to him than meets the eye. And I want to find out what it is,” she counters, chewing on her cuticle.

 

“If you mean what he looks like without a shirt on, I think you're on the right track,” Conner sasses.

 

“Ugh, can you two be serious for a second? I mean for Rao's sake.” She crosses her arms in exasperation.

 

“Fine.” John pauses the game, to Conner's verbal protest. “What, specifically, about the son of Lex Luthor are you obsessing about today?”

 

“Stop calling him that. Look, there's something about him. Something he's not telling me. I don't know if it's a good thing, or a bad thing. But a couple times when we've hung out at the LCorp Lab I've caught him quickly clicking away from whatever's on his screen. Something he doesn't want me to see.”

 

“He's probably just watching porn like every other teenage boy in America.” Conner rolls his eyes.

 

“You do realize you just incriminated yourself, right? Being, you know, an American teenage boy and all?” John reminds him.

 

“I said what I said,” he shrugs.

 

“Uh, gross. And no, it's not that. At least…I'm pretty sure. No, he's working on... _something_.  And it's not one of our projects. Or schoolwork,” Allie elaborates.

 

“I gotta be honest, sis, it's not that I don't trust you on this, I do…and if you think he's a good guy then I'm sure he is,” John says.

 

“But…?” Allie prompts.

 

“You didn't get a good look at those spider bots that day at the warehouse. I did. And I was freaking terrified.” She stares at him, unable to argue. She'd convinced him, against his better judgment, to help her fight some wildfires while their parents and other siblings were out of town. And when a Luthorcorp lab collapsed on them and the air filled with lead-tinged smoke, they'd nearly been caught by Lex Luthor himself, with A.J. in tow. The younger Luthor had released a handful of small drones, which looked like mechanical spiders, into the rubble around them. John, the only one of the children with reliable x-ray vision, watched the machines approach, slowly but surely, until a last minute rescue by Superman saved the day.

 

“John, I'm really sorry about that,” she says remorsefully.

 

“Stop that. I already forgave you.”

 

“But wait, even if he made those, wasn't it really _Lex_  that sent them in after you?” Conner wonders.

 

“Well, yeah. Though actually...I don't think they were actually looking for people. Just retrieving components from the lab. Which I assume must have had something to do with that red sun nanotech Lex was planning. With A.J.'s help, most likely.” John peers at the ceiling, contemplating the whole scheme.

 

“That's another thing. That whole evil villain plan…now that I know him, I really can't see him going along with it. I realize his Dad must have been intimidating, but he's so damn smart, and he doesn't have his father's anger and hatred in him. He just doesn't.” Allie punctuates her assertions by balling one fist and bringing it down with some force into her other hand. Enough to create a small shock wave that causes her brother and cousin to flinch.

 

“Hey, watch it,” John grumps. “And I think you're underestimating the persuasive power of Lex Luthor. He didn't become what he is now by accident. Like Clark said in Mom's article, he's a ‘man of tremendous destructive capabilities.’”

 

“Well, now he's a jailbird, thanks in part to your boy,” Conner points out.

 

“Yeah, I guess he is,” Allie quirks her head.

 

“If you want to know what I think, my vote is to give the guy a chance. After all, this family took a gamble on me when I was a big ol’ question mark,” Conner reminds them.

 

“That's different. You were a little boy,” John rebuts.

 

“A little boy with unknown possibly-devastating powers that I couldn't control. And besides, sixteen may not be little, but he's still a kid. Just like us.” Conner picks his controller back up, deciding he's humored his cousins long enough. Mario and Luigi spring back to life, forcing John to join in or be left behind.

 

Allie flops back on the couch, staring at the ceiling, trying--unsuccessfully--not to daydream about running her fingers through a certain crop of chestnut hair.

 

********

 

He doesn't spend much time at the bar these days. None of them do, since they have children and careers and heroic responsibilities and companies to run and the like. So Mon-El is surprised when James calls to invite him out for a drink at their old haunt.

 

He arrives on time, but sees James sitting there stirring a cocktail, ice nearly melted into nothing.

 

_He's been here a while, then._

 

Mon-El sidles up at the stool next to James and waves at the bartender, Rhonda, who promptly hands him a club soda.

 

“So…trouble on the homefront?” the Daxamite asks.

 

“Define _trouble_.”

 

“That bad, huh?”

 

“I don't know if I'd say bad, just...tense.”

 

“Between you and Lena, or you and the kid?”

 

“Both. And...is that what we're calling him?”

 

Mon-El sighs. “I suppose not using his name makes it easier...for me, I mean.”

 

“To dislike him?”

 

“...To keep my guard up, maybe?”

 

“Do you, though? Dislike him?”

 

“...No. If he were just some regular kid, I mean, I'd still be wary of any boy sniffing around my daughter, but...it's hard to get past where he came from. And before you say it, yes, I'm well aware I'm being a bit of a hypocrite here.”

 

“You mean because of your parents?”

 

“Because of my entire upbringing. My parents were bad people who mostly taught me bad things. And our entire culture backed them up.”

 

“Didn't take, luckily.”

 

Mon-El scoffs. “Thank Kara for that.”

 

James shakes his head. “Even before that. When you first arrived, I mean, you certainly weren't perfect, and I judged you just like she did. In fact, if we're being honest, _I_ flat out didn't _like_ you at first. Chalk some of that up to me still being kind of hung up on Kara, I suppose. And the whole trying-to-hero-without-her-approval thing, which made me a little envious of your powers. But...you were never a bad guy, not really. And I don't think A.J. is, either.”

 

“I sure hope you're right. My family's safety depends on it.”

 

“Is that really how you see this?”

 

“Don't you? I mean, what if he hates aliens as much as his father? Wants us dead? Wants to continue Lex's work? Have either of you even _asked_ him about that?”

 

“...No, I haven't. But he doesn't seem like the type to…” James reads Mon-El's look of skepticism, and nods sheepishly. “That's probably the kind of thing legal guardians are supposed to sort out, huh?”

 

“I'd say so. I certainly prefer it to learning he's a homicidal xenophobe _after_ he figures out who my daughter is. Besides, even if he's not like his Dad, he's clearly a troubled kid. Maybe Allie makes him happy...for a while. But one bad break-up, and...who knows how he might react?”

 

“Yeah, I guess you've got a point there. Look, I...owe you guys an apology, I think. For me _and_ for Lena. She got so caught up in trying to ‘fix’ him, and she latched onto Allie as the solution, without considering what the impact would be. On all of you. Including the kids. And I...have just been sitting here, watching it all unfold, scared to do anything.”

 

“What are you so afraid of?”

 

“Lena and I are both wandering in the dark here. We never planned on this...on him. I tried to talk to him soon after he arrived, and I just...made things worse. Now he barely acknowledges me. And it's not like I even have a role model I can look up to. I was pretty young when I lost my Dad, and even before that, he was deployed a lot. I don't know anything about being a father. Everything I do just...feels wrong.”

 

Mon-El smiles warmly. “Alex said something similar when she adopted Conner. We told her all parents feel like that. All the time. It's pretty normal, really.”

 

James shakes his head, awestruck. “You're kind of amazing, man. I mean, if someone had told me back in the day that you would evolve into such an incredible father and husband, I gotta be honest, I probably would have laughed in their face.”

 

“That makes two of us.” They share a chuckle at the truth of it.

 

“Seriously, though,” James continues. “You overcame your culture, your parentage, including, I suspect, some not-great treatment by said parents, and now...wow. Just...wow.”

 

“Thanks, man. Again, though, I have to refer you back to the whole ‘meeting Kara changed my life’ thing. Loving her, even with everything we went though...it was the best thing I've ever done. I don't even want to think about what kind of man I would have become without her.”

 

James looks at him with curiosity. “What _would_ your life have been? On Daxam, I mean. You would have been King eventually, right?”

 

“A crappy one, I'm sure. In some sort of arranged latching, with an heir or two produced by the matrix. And I would have been a _terrible_ father.”

 

“I find that hard to believe. I think the man you are now was always in there somewhere.”

 

He shrugs. “Maybe. Honestly, it's a little hard to see right now. I keep thinking about being her age. All the drinking and partying and…you know…”

 

“Sex?”

 

“...Yeah, exactly. I actually just had a conversation with Kara about how she's growing up, making adult choices, and we have to trust her to find her own path...and yet here I am, secretly, deep down, hoping no boys--or girls for that matter--ever touch her. And I can tell myself that it's just because I always found that life unfulfilling and I don't want that for her…but it's more than that. Part of me wants to lock her up, stop her getting older, make it so she's always my little girl. So, yeah, back to me being a hypocrite.”

 

“I wouldn't say that. I think it really just makes you...human. So to speak.”

 

“But I'm _not_ human. Neither is she. And honestly, a small corner of my brain that I'm not proud of is glad that being an alien makes it harder for her to get close to human beings. But I know someday she'll do just that. Meet someone, fall in love, have sex, maybe even have a family. Though I'll be honest, it _has_ occurred to me that there might be some nice, polite, well-groomed Kryptonian boys on Argo, properly vetted by their grandmother, of course.”

 

“Sounds very romantic,” James snarks. “Love story for the ages.”

 

“I know, right? Though probably better than falling madly in love then being separated for seven years, while one of you is off getting married to someone you _didn't_ love while the other is mourning your presumed death. Then of course the whole...Ray thing.”

 

“The _Ray_ thing?” James cracks up. “She dated the guy for like three months ten years ago. Or twenty to _you,_  time jumper guy.”

 

“Hey, I still gotta make awkward conversation once a year or so for some crisis or another with a dude that has banged my wife.”

 

“He says, to a dude that's _kissed_ his wife.” James side-eyes the Daxamite, who shrugs in acknowledgement. “And we're cool. Plus, didn't _she_ have to spend _years_ hanging out with Imra?”

 

“Yeah, well Imra and I didn't really have…I mean, we were all about mutual respect and common goals and...that kind of thing. I spent our whole marriage carrying a torch for Kara and she was perfectly fine with the fact that…well, suffice it to say passion wasn't really on the table.”

 

“Huh. Wow, okay. That explains a few things. Anyway, I just would have expected other parts of your story to be a little more salient. And more relevant to our current topic of discussion.”

 

“Such as?”

 

“Having parents who tried to control your life and tear you apart from the woman you love?”

 

“Allie and A.J. aren't in love...are they? I mean they're just kids.”

 

“Maybe they're not just yet, but I'm sure it hasn't escaped your attention that he looks at her…”

 

“...The way I look at Kara…” Mon-El drops his head, trying to resist the urge to bang it on the bartop. Which might possibly have the side effect of cracking the thing in two.

 

“Thereabouts. Look, I know they're young, but puppy love is still love. Whatever this is might be very real for them. And I suspect any efforts by us adult-types to interfere will only lead to badness. Besides, A.J. has had a pretty rough go in life. Lena's right, he needs someone to believe in him. And you know what? I _do._ I think he's a good kid who deserves a chance. So I'm gonna stand in his corner and help him however I can. Even if he doesn't want me there.”

 

Mon-El stares at his friend, cracking a smile.

 

“What?” James flinches under the scrutiny.

 

“Don't look now, Mr. Olsen, but you're starting to sound like a father.”

 

James, momentarily speechless, finally mouths a “Thank you,” to the sound of their glasses clinking together.

 

********

 

Papa J'onn mulls his god-daughter's request in his head. They talked about the risks of it, the ethics of it, her suspicions and her reasons for wanting more information. Ultimately, she left it up to him.

 

But…could he really read a boy's mind? From a distance? Without his knowledge and without causing any disruption to his thoughts and memories? The young can be particularly difficult to hone in on, their brains still developing and their thoughts often erratic.

 

He can't read Allie's mind at all, being that she's half Kryptonian and half Daxamite. But he knows her heart. She means well, and she wouldn't be asking if it wasn't deeply important to her. If she didn't genuinely think it was the right thing to do. Besides, he's been worried himself about the young man in question.

 

 _I'll just have a glance,_ he decides.

 

He takes a deep breath, and searches for the boy's consciousness. It's after midnight, and he's asleep, thankfully. That helps. Still, it takes a few moments of concentration for J'onn to access any visuals from his mind. He finds two: one is an angry, screaming Lex Luthor, fists balled in rage. J'onn feels the boy's fear and loathing, awaiting a blow to the face or body that never comes.

 

The second is...Allie…as a young girl, perhaps eight or nine. He sees her, blond locks cascading over her shoulders, blue eyes full of sympathy, reaching out a hand.

 

_Where did he see this? Or is it his imagination?_

 

_Did he meet her? When? Why?_

 

_HOW?_

 

He isn't sure what to tell Allie about what he saw. It's not much, it probably doesn't mean anything. Possibly he saw an old family photo or video. He shrugs it off, deciding he'll only bring it up if she presses the matter.

 

Still, the image haunts his thoughts for days afterwards.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my favorite chapter. Hope you guys liked it!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just some super teenage sneakiness...

_I need to talk to you_. _Alone. 8pm by the waterfront?_

 

That's all the text message says. No clue as to what prompted the ask, or what specific topic is on his mind, or why he can't discuss it over the phone. But it's a public place, a neutral spot she can get to on the bus (which is ostensibly how she's been coming to see him all this time, given he's unaware she has super speed). Allie wonders why he can't just meet after school like they usually do, before realizing it's because he's planning on sneaking out. Away from LCorp, away from Lena's penthouse. He doesn't want Lena and James to know he's seeing her, or overhear whatever it is he's planning to tell her. Which means she needs to make sure her parents don't find out, either. Not a simple thing, considering her mother can see and hear for miles, even through solid objects. She'll need some help on this one.

 

Despite her concerns about the cloak-and-daggery-ness of all this, she texts back.

 

 _I'll be there_.

 

********

 

“For the record, I'm _not_ on board with this,” John says. “For several reasons.” They're standing together in the middle of nowhere. Specifically, the nowhere a few miles north of Midvale that locals call the Carpenter's Woods, known for its variety of different tree species.

 

“I know. And I appreciate that you're helping anyway. I owe you one.”

 

“You owe me like, fifty.”

 

“I'll do your chores for a month.”

 

“You mean speed-chores? That takes like five minutes.”

 

“Fine…you can have all my desserts for a month, then.”

 

“Seriously? Okay, cool, I'll take it. Though I was planning to help you anyway, you know.”

 

“Damn. Well, whatever, just…here's my phone. Keep it on you, and if Mom and Dad call, the story is we're out in the woods together collecting specimens for your leaf collection project for science class. And I'm...off the trail for a few minutes and I'll call them right back.”

 

“You really think they're gonna track your phone GPS? I mean, come on.”

 

“Can't take the chance.”

 

“Fine, whatever, I'll go collect leaves on my own. Gotta do that anyway. And then you'll head right back, yeah?”

 

“Of course. Straight back, as soon as we're done talking.”

 

“Well...just make it quick.” Allie nods at her little brother, then speeds off.

 

She finds A.J. on the waterfront, looking out at the water. Directly behind him sits the shiny, oversize likeness of Supergirl. The statue Lena dedicated so many years ago. She remembers first seeing it in the 31st century, her father nearly making her cry (unintentionally) by telling her how he came here most days during the years he was separated from their mother, just so he could talk to her, to feel a momentary, imaginary connection with the love of his life. Despite her sadness at the tragedy of it, Allie recalls praying someday to find someone to love like that. She takes a moment to gaze up the image of her mother, so like her own. Inhaling deeply, she approaches her friend, resting her arms on the railing.

 

“Hey. You okay?”

 

“Yeah. I'm all right. It's pretty tonight. The sky isn't usually so clear. Even with the city lights, you can see a lot of stars.” He looks up, as though he's addressing the celestial bodies directly.

 

“A.J., why did you ask me here?” she demands.

 

“I figured it out, finally. I had a dream…about you. Or, I guess...a memory…it was so vivid…it just, like, surfaced in my mind. In between memories of my father.”

 

Allie's breath catches, stunned. He couldn't…could he? Her face was covered in ash. Her hood was up, he couldn't even see her hair…there's no way, right?

 

He balks at her reaction. “Are _you_ all right? You look like you've seen a ghost.”

 

Throat dry, she struggles to reply. “Yeah, I'm good. But…what do you mean? What memory?”

 

“It was your eyes. I'd seen them before. I knew I had. I just couldn't place it.”

 

“A.J., we met at your Aunt's lab. We never met before that.” She feels herself starting to panic, mind racing, not sure how to get out of this.

 

“Yes. We did. You...you saved me that day. It was the worst day of my life…and you saved me.”

 

“What on Earth are you talking about?” she musters.

 

“The day my mother was arrested. I was ten. So you must have been nine, I guess.”

 

“What? I don't…” Allie starts, bewildered, until it hits her. “...Oh, my God. It was you. In the lobby at…”

 

“...at LCorp. My mom had been on the run my whole life, or at least as far back as I can remember. She wasn't exactly mother of the year, but she was all I had, you know? We were constantly moving place to place. Occasionally, she'd enroll me in school for a while, but never long enough to make any friends. But…she gave me lots of books to read. And a computer. And she…she would sing to me and tuck me in. Sometimes, anyway.”

 

Allie listens, her heart breaking a little, watching his face.

 

“I guess eventually she ran out of money. And she got desperate, so she dragged me to LCorp to try and shake down Lena. But someone there must have recognized her and tripped the silent alarm, because all of a sudden the place swarmed with cops.”

 

“...I remember. Uncle James was watching me. I think we were supposed to go to the movies or something. We were on our way upstairs to pick up Lena...when it happened.”

 

“They tackled her right there in the lobby, and dragged her out. I don't think anyone knew I was there at first.”

 

“No one did. Even Lena...she had no idea you even existed. Not until later.”

 

“But you did. You came over to me…James must have been talking to the police, and you...didn't ask if I needed help. You just reached out your hand. And sat there with me while I cried. My world was crashing down around me...and the only thing I had to hold on to...was you.”

 

Allie is shocked to find tears streaming down her face. She wraps her arms around him, and he reciprocates happily, despite the cloud of grief that envelops him.

 

“I'm so sorry that happened to you,” she says.

 

“I'm thankful that when it did happen, you somehow were there.” He hugs her tighter.

 

“Maybe we're destined to keep finding each other over and over. My parents are a bit like that.”

 

“Over and over...I mean, it only happened once before we really met, right?”

 

 _Uh-oh_. “Right. Yeah. That's what I meant.”

 

He pulls back to look at her, holding her by the shoulders. “No, you didn't. And you looked scared just now when I started talking.”

 

“What? No, I…”

 

“Allie…when have we found each other, besides that day?”

 

“No, we haven't, I just meant…”

 

She sees the moment the realization hits him, like a meteor. The change in his face is  unmistakable. “...Oh, God. Oh my freaking God, I'm an idiot. How did I not realize? The warehouse. The day of the fires. That was you! And John! Those eyes...I even said it then…that you looked familiar.”

 

“No! I've never...I don't…” She feels her heart racing and the urge to flee rising up in her gut.

 

“How did you get there? It's fifty miles from Midvale. And it's in the middle of nowhere. What were you even doing? Were you spying? Did Lena or James put you up to it?”

 

“No! Okay, we were there, but it was just a coincidence, we never…”

 

“ALURA ELIZA DANVERS! What in the HELL do you think you're DOING?!” Kara's voice rings out from fifty feet away, as she quick-marches toward her daughter. A.J. springs back, releasing Allie from his arms. 

 

"Alura?" he mouths quietly, despite his shock and trepidation at the fiery demeanor of the normally kindly maternal figure, now approaching on what can only be described as a warpath. 

 

Allie's heart more or less sinks into her boots. 

 

_Ohcrapohcrapohcrap…_

 

“MOM! H...how did you find me?”

 

Kara's voice carries a coldness Allie has never heard before. “One of the neighbors was walking his dog in the woods and saw John alone. He called me immediately and we found him there holding your phone.”

 

“Okay, look, I can explain.”

 

“No need. It's pretty damn clear. Now say your goodbyes. You won't be seeing each other again.”

 

“What?! Mom, what are you saying?”

 

“I'm saying you're grounded. Indefinitely. Now come on. We're going home. _Now_.”

 

She quickly turns to hug A.J., who cups her face and whispers “It's okay…it's okay,” into her hair, as Kara grabs Allie by the shoulder and physically drags her away. They stare at each other forlornly until Kara pulls Allie around a corner, then into a blind alley, wrapping an arm tightly around her child and taking to the sky.

 

They don't talk on the way home.

 

Finally, they land in the back yard and Kara walks quietly into the house. Frightened, Allie follows. She sees her father at the table with John, her own cell phone in between them. John doesn't apologize, but remorse is clear enough on his face.

 

 _No, baby brother,_ I'm _the one who should be sorry_.

 

Her parents nod at each other, one of those silent communications they've perfected over the years that conveys much more than is obvious to the casual observer.

 

Kara's cell rings. She doesn't look to see who's calling, but still picks up immediately.

 

“Hi, Lena. No...no I do _not_ think I'm overreacting. The boy already knows far more than he should. I've tried to play things your way, tried to give this a chance. For you. But this...this is done. No, I'm _not_ going to change my mind. Look...look, Lena, I'll talk to you tomorrow about it if you want, but I have to discipline my child right now…Why? Because that's what you _do_ when your kid breaks your trust. You might want to think about doing the same, okay? Goodnight.”

 

 _CLICK._   

 

“So, I'm...really grounded then,” Allie croaks, realizing this is the first time they've employed such a punishment.

 

“You're damn right you are,” Mon-El says.

 

“Just go to your room, Allie. It's late,” Kara barks.

 

“Can you...just give me a chance to…”

 

“What? A cute, possibly dangerous boy asks you to go sneaking around the city with him at night and you just go _along_ with it? And worse, you dragged your brother into your nonsense. Again!” Kara yells.

 

“Honey, it was bad enough that you guys ran off to fight those fires on your own. But then, at the very least, you were trying to do something good, something to help others. But this? You did this for yourself,” Mon-El scolds.

 

“No! He just wanted to talk…”

 

“Oh, is that all? Well, for future reference, talking can also be accomplished via this useful device called a telephone,” Mon-El growls. "Next time, use _that_ instead of leaving it with your brother. In the middle of the woods, alone, for Rao's sake!”

 

“There won't be a next time. I meant it, Allie. You and that boy are over. And you're not getting your phone back, not until you earn back our trust.”

 

“Mom, come on, this is crazy, can't you see? He _needs_ me! And I…” she stops, overwhelmed by panic and pain. And her mother's icy blue eyes staring her down.

 

“You what?” Kara asks, voice heavy with threat.

 

“I just, I…” she turns to her father, desperate. One look at his face and she knows he isn't going to be the softie this time. Not about this.

 

“...Nothing. I'll go upstairs.” Tears starting to stream down her face, she scurries up to her room.

 

As she turns to click her bedroom door shut, she hears them arguing.

 

“Kara…look, I'm on your side. Always. And believe me, I'm _livid._  But as someone who screwed up an awful lot when he was younger…and in love…”

 

“They're NOT in love. Allie is A CHILD. She doesn't know anything about _love_.”

 

“She's just trying to help him. To be a hero, like you.”

 

“She's not a hero either! She doesn't have the _first clue_ what being a real hero means.”

 

“Well, it's our job to teach her.”

 

“I _am_ teaching her. I'm teaching her that sometimes protecting others starts with protecting _herself._  It's why we have secret identities in the first place. Without them, we're vulnerable. And sometimes, doing what we do, being who we are means...walking away from certain vulnerabilities.”

 

“So what, that's it? ‘Sorry honey, can't help everyone?’”

 

“...Maybe we can't.”

 

Her father lets out a long sigh, and though she can't see him around the corner, she knows he's giving her that look. The one his gives her when he wants to argue, but is thinking better of it.

 

At length, he asks, “So what do we tell her when she asks how we decide who deserves help and who doesn't?”

 

Her mother doesn't reply.

 

 _I've heard enough,_  Allie decides, resolve growing. She doesn't shut her door, but instead slips silently into her mother's office, opening her work laptop. Guessing Kara's password, she accesses her files on Lex Luthor, including the subfile labeled “Junior”, and begins to read.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The obligatory balcony-esque scene.

She goes to bed the following night feeling just as miserable as the last. Emotions swirling, and a mind that just won't settle...make it almost impossible to sleep.

 

Not so for Allie's parents, who are out like lights. She's already walked by their bedroom twice to get a second, then a third cup of water, and heard her mother's snores and her father's faint muttering in his sleep. He's dreaming. Something about Hellgrammites and cupcakes.

 

She's not really thirsty, but it's something to _do_ , at least. Besides stare at the ceiling and worry about _him_. And about herself.

 

When she returns to her room, she doesn't get into bed. She sits on her window seat looking out at the sky. At the stars. She wonders if he's doing the same.

 

She doesn't have to wonder long, because after a few minutes she hears a clink on her window.

 

Confused, she looks out and sees him...standing in the side yard, throwing pebbles. Shocked, she opens her window and crawls out on the gently sloping roof on this side of the craftsman-style house. There's a small decorative railing along the edge of the shingles, parallel to the rain gutter, which almost gives the appearance of a balcony. She leans over said railing and peers down at him.

 

 _Wherefore art thou, Romeo..._ she nearly says aloud, before shaking off the thought.

 

“What the hell are you doing?” she whispers instead.

 

“You didn't return my call, so...I figured…”

 

“They took my phone away.”

 

“Figured...that. Can you come down?”

 

Allie looks down at her mismatched checkered pajama pants and Hello Kitty t-shirt with some embarrassment, but nods her assent. He expects her to retreat inside and come out the back door, but instead she scoots across the rooftop to a nearby tree and climbs down, before swinging under the lowest limb and landing a few feet away.

 

“That was pretty impressive,” he says.

 

“Thanks, but can we make this quick? I'm already in _so_ much trouble.”

 

“I know, and I wanted to apologize. I shouldn't have asked you to…”

 

“You never asked me to sneak out, I did that on my own. And you certainly didn't make me turn my little brother into an accomplice. So please, don't be sorry.”

 

“Well...I am.” He stands there, hands in his pockets, staring at his shoes.

 

“A.J.? Why don't you just say whatever you came here to say.”

 

“Right. It's just…the thing is…I'm crazy about you.”

 

Her breath catches and for a moment she feels like the world's stopped spinning, that time is standing still just for the two of them. She looks into his eyes, those sweet brown eyes of his, which are now full of tears.

 

“A.J., I…” she croaks..

 

“Don't. Don't say anything. Whatever you're feeling...I think it's better for me not to know. Since we won't be seeing each other any more. If you don't feel the same, I'd rather not hear you say the words, and if you do...it will just make this harder.”

 

“Look, my parents will come around. Eventually. This isn't goodbye. Okay? We'll figure something out.”

 

“Yeah. It is.” A chill goes down her spine at the finality, the fatalism of his assertion.

 

He steps forward, looking into her deep blue eyes. “But I just couldn't...I had to…oh, screw it.” He leans in, cups her face and kisses her, softly at first, before moving to wrap his arms around her as she shifts toward him, deepening the kiss and pressing against him gently. For long minutes they kiss, one of his hands snaking into her hair, until finally he pulls away. She realizes his already-watery eyes have begun to leak down his lightly-stubbled cheeks, matching the trails of moisture streaming down her own. They press their foreheads together, breathing each other's air, and stand there amid everything unsaid.

 

“I have to go,” he finally manages.

 

“Wait...I need to tell you something.” She takes a deep breath, steeling herself for what she's determined to say. “...I figured it out. About what you did. About your father. I read all the files and…the feds, my mom, Lois Lane…none of them put the pieces together. But I did.”

 

He pulls back and looks at her, shocked, before the corners of his mouth begin to creep upward. “I knew you were smart.” He smiles proudly, despite his grief.

 

“Why didn't you tell anyone?”

 

“If you figured out all that, then you know why.”

 

She nods, biting her lip.

 

“I got you something,” he says, removing his backpack, which she hadn't noticed he was wearing until now. He pulls out a small oblong box with a bow on it, and hands it to her. “But you can't open it until after I'm gone, deal?”

 

“...Okay,” she replies, with some trepidation.

 

He hugs her, then leans in for one last, fleeting kiss, before turning to walk away. “Goodbye, Allie.”

 

“Wait! About the warehouse...I never got the chance to explain…”

 

“It's all right. You don't have to. You're not the only smart person around here, you know,” he says over his shoulder as he goes.

 

Slightly confused, she watches him disappear down her driveway and up the main road a ways, until she can't see him anymore beyond a crop of trees. She hears the sputtering roar of a motorcycle starting up. Uncle James’ motorcycle. So that's how he got here.

 

 _Not the only smart person_ …

 

She rolls his words around in her head for a moment, before remembering she still holds his gift to her in her hands. Quickly, she rips it open.

 

It's a pair of glasses. Just like her mother's. She stares at them, dumbfounded.

 

_Oh Rao…OH, RAO!_

 

Heart pounding, she speeds up the driveway, watching his bike go around a curve. Taking a deep breath, she prays to her Kryptonian God to give her just _one second_ of x-ray vision. She focuses on the sound of the engine, tries to concentrate...and suddenly, there he is. A quick flash of him coasting away down the road. She sees everything. His bone structure, the metallic outline of the bike, and the contents of his backpack, which includes several mechanical components she can't identify...and one large hunk of black rock.

 

 _The harun-el._  The kind Aunt Lena has been experimenting on for years.

 

_RAO HELP ME…_

 

She lifts into the air, until she's high enough to be mistaken in the darkness for a bird or a plane by any bystanders on the ground.

 

And in that darkness, she watches him, and follows.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The adults start the search, and A.J. puts his plan into motion.

“I'm sure there's a logical explanation,” Lena says, trying to calm her best friend down before she becomes an ex-best friend.

 

“Logical?! LOGICAL, Lena?! You know what, how about this for a logical narrative, huh? Your psycho nephew came to my home and kidnapped my daughter from her bedroom, and took her off to Rao knows where…”

 

“Kara, she obviously went willingly. It's not like she couldn't overpower him if she wanted to,” Mon-El says.

 

“Unless he brought Kryptonite, think of _that_ hmm? You know, that glowy green rock that de-powers my half-Kryptonian children? Maybe he knows _everything_ , including how to make it, which he probably picked up in your goddamned Lab, Lena!” she shakes a finger angrily at her friend, before slumping onto the sofa at Lena's penthouse and collapsing into a teary puddle.

 

“Kara…” Lena starts, “I'm sorry…I'm so sorry...I never imagined any of this would happen. I just wanted him to have a nice friend! I never expected them to get so...attached. And I don't know what possessed him to run off, or why he would take her with him…”

 

“I might…” James says, entering from the bedroom, a dour look on his face. “I just got off the phone with the LCorp Lab. They went through the inventory, found a few things missing. A chunk of harun-el from Eve's trials…”

 

“You're _still_ running trials on that?” Mon-El wonders. “I thought you'd given up on getting it to work.”

 

Lena shakes her head. “I picked it back up. I never was able to find a way to make it render Kryptonite inert, like I thought. But it's always bugged me. It should have worked. It really should have. So I thought I'd try again. Except…”

 

“What, Lena?” Kara stares nervously at her friend.

 

“One of the recent experiments...it made the Kryptonite _more_ powerful. Caused it to release three times as much radiation as it normally does.”

 

“Oh, Christ,” James sits next to Kara, dropping his head into his palms. “That's not good. Because he also stole components…that could be used to make a bomb. Which I imagine could be used to..."

 

"Create a cloud of Kryptonite dust capable of killing any Kryptonian close enough to the blast radius...Oh, dear God..." Lena finishes, dropping her head into her hands for a moment. 

 

Kara begins sobbing, as Mon-El wraps his arms around her, voice shaking, saying “It's gonna be okay. We're gonna get her back.”

 

She looks up at Lena, eyes pleading. “We have to. We _have_ to get her back. I want my _baby_ back, Lena, _please…_ ”

 

Lena, panicking, shifts her focus back and forth between the two aliens on the couch, and her own boyfriend. “Okay. Um, his phone's turned off, I already tried it, but...there's got to be some way to figure out where they went. Can you listen for them?”

 

“They're too far away by now.” Kara shakes her head.

 

“Let's check that spot in the mountains again,” Mon-El says. “I mean I really can't think of anything else other than waiting for one of them to call.”

 

“Okay. Okay, yes. Let's go.” Kara stands up.

 

“Wait, what spot?” James wonders.

 

“We asked Winn to keep an eye on them at the Lab, and he saw on A.J.'s laptop that he'd looked up this particular spot in the Sierras,” Mon-El explains.

 

“Whoa, you were _spying_ on him?” Lena demands. The alien parents stare at her, incredulous, and she wilts under their scrutiny. “Right. Not the time to take the moral high ground, is it? All right, let's go.”

 

Kara grabs Lena while Mon-El carries James, and they fly in pairs out the apartment window.

 

********

 

She follows him for hours, until the sun is high in the sky. Luckily, they're now in an area so remote she isn't particularly concerned about being spotted. Except by him. But the trees make for good cover, and she watches him eventually run out of road, then out of navigable trail, until he finally abandons the motorcycle and trudges the last two miles or so on foot.

 

After what feels like ages, he locates a very large boulder, roughly fifteen feet in diameter, nestled awkwardly in an odd-looking cranny on the side of one of the hills, a short distance up the slope. Allie sits on the high, hefty limb of a large tree and watches through the pine needles, as A.J. pulls out his laptop and taps a few buttons, causing the boulder to lift into the air.

 

 _Holy Rao, this must be another one of Lex's secret labs_ , she thinks. _Or something worse._

 

Fearful, she remembers cousin Clark's advice. _Use my head…reason this out…_ She stares down at the glasses, still in her hand. _He won't hurt me. But he_ might _hurt_ himself, she thinks, putting the spectacles in her pocket. 

 

Gathering her courage, she alights to the ground and darts into the tunnel after him, thankful the door seems to have stayed open behind her.

 

She decides to float, so she doesn't make any noise following him down into the tunnel. He turns one corner, then another, then another, until he finally stands in front of a large metal door. She inches down the corridor, hiding behind a pillar, watching him.

 

He puts down his bag and laptop and takes a deep breath. “You shouldn't have come, Allie.”

 

Deflating, she lets her feet fall to the floor and emerges from her hiding spot. “How did you know?” she wonders.

 

“Motion detectors. I got a notification when you came into the tunnel.”

 

“Oh. What _is_ this place?”

 

“It was my Dad's. Not shockingly, I'm sure.”

 

“Why are you here?”

 

“Why are _you_ here? I came to see you to say goodbye. Which is usually followed by, you know, not being in the same place. You weren't supposed to be come after me.”

 

“I had to.”

 

“No, you didn't. Your parents are gonna kill you, you know.”

 

“Yup. They definitely are. But I don't care. All I care about is that you're okay.”

 

“You can't save me, Allie. Not this time.”

 

“Save you from what?”

 

He stares at her, looking utterly defeated.

 

“A.J., please. I'm worried about you.”

 

“Yeah, well you ought to worry about _yourself_.”

 

“What does _that_ mean?”

 

He sighs and rubs the bridge of his nose for a moment. “I need to show you something. Do you trust me?”

 

“I do,” she says, nodding vigorously.

 

“Okay. Don't be scared.”

 

He taps a few buttons, which opens the large metal door in front of them. Immediately, the alcove they're standing in fills with an eerie green glow, and Allie screams.

 


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things come to a head...

When they arrive at the coordinates, Kara understands why she couldn't see the entrance before. “He hid his front door under that freaking boulder. It was too thick for my vision to penetrate.”

 

Now, however, the boulder appears to be hovering in midair, revealing the entrance to a long tunnel.

 

“Lena, any idea what might be in there?” Kara asks.

 

“I'm not totally sure, but...I always suspected Lex had some kind of special vault where he kept the bulk of his...Kryptonite,” Lena concedes.

 

“Okay, so, to recap, our daughter is probably in there with a possibly dangerous boy who's now got two types of definitely deadly rocks... _and_ a bomb? And my wife can't see inside because there's a thick layer of mountain in the way?” Mon-El asks, visibly working to keep his anger and fear in check.

 

“That's about the size of it,” James replies, as Mon-El lets out a shuddering breath.

 

“Kara…if that bomb goes off, the Kryptonite will kill you. It might kill Allie, too. I'm not sure what vaporized green K would do to a half-Kryptonian. But it wouldn't been good.”

 

“Come on,” Kara says, her tone steely, to no one in particular, before striding forth, fully clad in her Supergirl suit.

 

The place is a maze, and they're not sure which way to go for a few moments. Until Kara and Mon-El hear Allie screaming, and dart off, human friends trailing behind.

 

When they turn the last corner and encounter the vivid green aura emanating from the vault, Kara collapses into a heap, letting out a blood-curdling shriek. Allie is already on the ground, while A.J. is frantically trying to get the metal door shut. The heavy door that's very clearly made of lead. And is apparently stuck. He gives up after a moment, then returns to Allie, trying to help her up and away from the vault.

 

Mon-El pushes Kara back around the corner, away from the glow, and they're quickly joined by a very startled A.J., holding Allie in his arms.

 

“PUT HER DOWN AND STEP BACK!” Mon-El shouts. A.J., clearly frightened by the sight of Supergirl and Valor before him, does as instructed and places Allie gently on the ground.

 

“It's not what you think...I was just…” he sputters.

 

“Shut up and help me get this door closed!” Valor yells. The teen nods and returns to the vault--which houses what Mon-El now sees is shelf upon shelf of those familiar green rocks, likely the largest stockpile on Earth. A.J. pushes as best he can with his feeble human muscles, relieved when Valor's added strength proves enough to force the latch shut.

 

“I'm so sorry, I was just trying to show her…I didn't think it would...” A.J. attempts. Valor, ignoring him, returns to his daughter.

 

“Are you both all right? _Please_ be all right,” the Daxamite implores, as the two blondes begin to recover.

 

Allie sits up, shaking off the painful experience, while her mother (more accustomed to coping with the effects of those familiar chunks of their home world) brushes herself off and begins looking her daughter over with concern.

 

"I'm okay, Dad," the teen says. "Although l guess that much Kryptonite can do a little more than strip my powers. So, you know, jot _that_ down."

 

Mon-El and Kara freeze like deer in headlights. Allie exhales, reaching for her mother's hand. “He already knows. He knows everything.”

 

Wary, Mon-El helps his wife and daughter up and turns to face the young man. “I see. So you brought her here…”

 

“I wasn't trying to hurt her! I swear! I would _never_ do that!” the young Luthor pleads.

 

“Really?” Kara shakes her head coldly, completely done. “You've got a funny way of showing it, kid. Come on, both of you. We're gonna drop this... _boy_ off at the police station, and YOU…” she turns to Allie, pointing an accusatory finger. “We'll sort out your punishment later.”

 

“Mom! You don't understand!”

 

“Allie, whatever it is, I don't…”

 

“HE SET LEX UP! HE'S TRYING TO SAVE _ALL_ OF US!”

 

They stop, bewildered, and stare at him. He resists the urge to crumple into a ball under their piercing gazes.

 

“What are you talking about, Allie?” her father asks.

 

“He backed up the Luthorcorp servers off-site. He compiled all the hard evidence. He served Lex up to you guys and the feds on a _silver platter_. He was working _against_ his father. Always. And he came here to destroy his legacy. For good. For...for us.”

 

“I don't understand…you're saying that all the evidence we found…everything Superman and Lois Lane and Kara Danvers…”

 

“Mom, I _just_ told you he knows. You can drop it.”

 

“Fine. Okay, everything we found on Lex…you _put_ it there for us?”

 

“Yeah. Invoices, communications, bank records, you name it. I was in charge of that stuff. Dad...he never would have been that sloppy. He was too smart to ever leave a trail like that. So...I left it. He didn't suspect anything...until the arrest.”

 

“...Why? He was your father…”

 

“I assume you're looking for an answer more sophisticated than ‘because he was evil?’” His attempt at humor clearly doesn't resonate, so he flops his hands down, and puts them behind his back, almost shyly. “I mean, was I supposed to just let him block out the _sun_? Help him do it? He was crazy! His hatred was…it was beyond wrong, it was pathological. He was obsessed. He'd go on these rants…and God _forbid_ you disagree 'cause then he'd…” the boy trails off, staring at the wall. "Besides. My sister…” he continues.

 

“What sister?” Mon-El asks. “I thought you were an only child.”

 

“I had a foster family for a few years. A sister, Grace. We were close. She told me Supergirl saved her once. Bridge collapse. She adored you...all of you. And then my Dad got out of jail and...dragged me out of there. I never even got to say goodbye, he just showed up at school and that was it. I never saw any of them again. They were there only people who ever…” he hangs his head.  

 

“I'm sorry,” Kara says. “I'm sorry you had to go through that. But why did you bring Allie here? What are you even _doing_ up here?”

 

“He didn't bring me. I followed him. I thought he was gonna do something drastic…and I guess I was right about that,” Allie confesses. Kara's anger hasn't entirety melted away yet, and she holds her hand up, willing her offspring to stop talking.

 

“She wasn't supposed to be here. I came…to destroy the last of the Kryptonite before the place got cleaned out by one of Dad's henchmen. Like the one who's almost certainly waiting for me outside right now.”

 

“Wait, what do you mean?” Allie demands.

 

“Look, you guys…what you do is extraordinary. But my father…he'll never stop trying to kill me, just like he'll never stop trying to kill all of you. Maybe you rescue me today, but someday, somewhere down the line…one of them is gonna find me. I just...I wanted it over with.”

 

“So you're saying…”

 

“Dad's had men tailing me for weeks. I mean, of _course_ he has. I've seen them. Everywhere. They're not subtle. After school, outside LCorp. Waiting until I was alone, away from Lena, away from bodyguards, not in a public place. Thought I would just go ahead and...give them the opportunity, while I'm up here erasing what's left of the great Lex Luthor's mighty reign of terror.” He spits this bitterly, with venom.

 

Allie finds herself tearing up again. “So when you came to say goodbye...it wasn't just because of…”

 

“No. Look, Allie, it doesn't matter what happens to me. Not any more. As long as you're _safe._ ”

 

Kara and Mon-El look at each other, full of grief and guilt. Mon-El had said exactly those words to Kara once, as his mother was dragging him away from her, for what--in that moment--they thought would be a permanent separation.

 

Kara turns to Allie. “You kept saying he needed help. You were right. I just couldn't see it. I...I didn't _want_ to see it. I'm so sorry.”

 

“Me, too,” Mon-El says. “We worried about him being a target, but we were only  concerned about _your_ safety. I guess we never seriously thought about whether _he_ might be in danger from his own father. If we'd just trusted you…”

 

“It's okay. I didn't really deserve your trust. I shouldn't have run off...twice. I should have asked for help,” Allie says, voice cracking.

 

“Can we join the apology-fest?” Lena asks, coming up behind them with James. “Mine's, uh, gonna take a while, though. I have a pretty long list. And A.J., you're at the top.”

 

He half-smiles as she approaches, placing her hands on his shoulders.

 

“But how could you just take off like that? Did you really not think we would help you if you asked?” she demands.

 

“I didn't...totally trust you. I still don't _know_ you. I mean, I get that you two have good intentions. But…don't forget you're the one that figured out how to _make_ Kryptonite. My God, Dad would have _killed_ to get his hands on that recipe. How could I be sure you were really on the level? That you would understand? That's...kinda why I didn't tell the police what I did. Everyone...they just see what they want to see when they look at me. Some dumb kid who got roped into his father's schemes.”

 

“It was easier for him to play the part. If they knew all the things he did…how he outwitted Lex Luthor, criminal mastermind…” Allie elaborates, approaching him and grabbing his arm supportively.

 

“...He'd be on their radar. He'd never get out from under that cloud of suspicion. Yeah, we know something about that,” James says, looking at Lena.

 

“Besides, seemed kind of pointless to let you into my life when…there's a good chance it's about to be over,” he laments.

 

Lena sighs. “Listen, _nothing_ is going to happen to you, do you hear me? _Everyone_ here is going to make sure that Lex and his cronies never lay a hand on you.” The adults and Allie nod along emphatically.

 

“How? He has followers everywhere. You can't be with me 24/7.”

 

“I'll start at the top. I'll take them down one by one if I have to. Burn his _whole organization_ to the ground.” Her eyes flash with anger then, and A.J. gulps, taken aback by her ferocity. “Just...let me _help_ you, please? I know I haven't exactly been the best guardian so far. I mean, I expected a teenage girl to do the heavy lifting of getting through to you. Not my proudest moment. But James and I…we're your family now. We're your _people._  And you'll _always_ have us. Understand?”

 

He sees James’ face, full of compassion, and looks at Lena, seeing the truth in her eyes. He nods.

 

“There's one thing I don't understand…how were you going to destroy the Kryptonite? I've never been able to figure it out.” Lena asks.

 

“I did. I exposed the harun-el to high levels of beta radiation. When the bomb goes off…” He looks at his tablet, taps it, and his eyes go wide.

 

“Oh, God! The bomb! Everyone run! Go!”

 

Allie grabs A.J. while her parents swoop up their other friends, and speed them toward the outside. They're nearly at the end of the tunnel when the blast occurs. Fissures quickly form in the rock above them, and Mon-El pushes James out of the way so he can prop up the crumbling ceiling.

 

“Everyone OUT!” he says. Kara shepherds the lot of them outside, just in time to avoid the tunnel collapsing. She looks back to see a pile of rubble, a cloud of dust escaping.

 

“Mon-El!” she screams, to the accompaniment of Allie yelling “Daddy!” The others stand, waiting with bated breath, until a large chunk of debris dislodges and rolls away, and Valor emerges, somewhat dusty but otherwise intact.

 

A.J. heaves a huge sigh of relief that he didn't accidentally just kill his sort-of girlfriend's father.

 

“I'm so sorry, I had already put the bomb inside the vault, and it must have armed itself somehow when the door slammed shut,” he offers.

 

“Well, I guess your device worked, since we're not all standing in a cloud of Kryptonite dust,” James says.

 

“Yeah, guess he _is_ the smart Luthor,” Lena says, mussing his hair a little. 

 

“So….all that green stuff is just...gone?” Allie inquires.

 

“It's gone,” A.J. says. “You're safe.”

 

“And now we know how to destroy Kryptonite, so Winn and Eve and I should be able to develop some tech to protect you all,” Lena offers. She takes a deep breath. “So...you really think Lex has some flunkies waiting for you out here somewhere?”

 

“Yeah, I think so. I found a tracking device on the bike. So I assume they're waiting near where I left it.”

 

“You mean _my_ bike. The one you stole, right?” James raises an eyebrow skeptically at his new nephew.

 

A.J. nods apologetically. “That's the one. Uh...sorry.”

 

Shaking his head, James smiles and claps him on the back. "I'll give you a pass just this once, considering the circumstances. Killers after you and all."

 

“I think we can take care of them,” Kara says, dusting off her skirt.

 

“Oh, no. _I_ get first crack at these guys,” Lena says, pulling a taser from her purse.

 

“Be my guest,” Kara says, stepping aside.

 

They find two such lackeys hiding in the bushes near the abandoned motorcycle, thanks to Kara's vision. Lena zaps one while James pulls out his retractable shield and knocks out the other. Kara and Mon-El watch from the sidelines with the kids, kind of wishing they had popcorn.

 

“Nice work, Aunt Lena,” Allie compliments when they emerge from their hiding spot. "So does this mean…”

 

“Oh, you're still grounded. Big time.” Mon-El avers.

 

“You too, kiddo.” Lena chimes in. A.J. exhales, understanding.

 

“But, uh, I think you can have your phone back. Okay?” Kara says.

 

“I'll take it,” Allie says, relieved. “As long as you're safe.” She reaches her hand out and slips it into the grasp of her new...whatever he is.

 

Remembering, she lets out a small gasp, and pulls her new glasses out of her pocket. She unfolds them, holding them up in front of her face and looking them over uncertainly. A.J. chuckles and takes them from her, before gently sliding the stems over her ears and settling the bridge over her nose. 

 

"How do I look?" she asks, staring up at him. 

 

"Absolutely beautiful," he sighs softly. 

 

She and A.J. smile dreamily at each other, as the two sets of parents stand around--more than a little uncomfortable--until James clears his throat, snapping them out of it.

 

“Come on, lovebirds. Back to your respective cages. I have a different kind of feathered friend I need to go visit.” Lena says.

 

“What kind is that?” James wonders.

 

“Just my very favorite jailbird, that's all.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lex Luthor gets a visitor.

Lena sits, trying--more or less successfully--to compose herself, as heavily armed guards bring her brother into the room and shackle him to the floor, before leaving the two of them and shutting the door with a loud clank. 

 

“Hey, sis. How's tricks?” he sneers, florescent lights shining off his bald head. 

 

“Orange really is your color, Lex. It brings out the psychopath in your complexion,” she snarks back.

 

“So...come here to exchange beauty tips, then?”

 

“No. I came to talk about A.J.”

 

“Who?”

 

“Your son.”

 

“Ah, Junior. Does he miss me terribly? Shame, he was such a promising young lad. Had a bright future.”

 

“He still is. And he still _does_.”

 

Lex looks around. “Private room. That must have taken some wrangling with the Warden. So what is it you want to say to me that you don't want anyone else to hear?”

 

“Call off the hit. Tell your minions to stand down. Because if anything happens to that young man…”

 

“You'll what? Have me put in jail? Junior already beat you to it. Little bastard. I must admit, much as it pains me...he got me. Took him for an intelligent young lad, but turns out I underestimated him. Boy was smart enough to let me think I was getting through to him. Stroked my ego just enough. Tell me, is he pulling the same scam on you?”

 

“Call it what you want, Lex. I know us Luthors tend to be prone to blind spots…”

 

“That we are. We want to be loved, don't we? Is he doing a good job convincing you he loves you? ‘Thank you, Auntie Lena. You're so kind…’”

 

“Doesn't matter. I love _him._  And unlike _you_ , my love isn't conditional on him being what I want him to be. So here's the deal, Lex. _Anything_ happens to him...if he gets a goddamned paper cut…life as you know it ends. Got it?”

 

Lex's face betrays no concern at this, but she notices him shift in his seat.

 

“I thought you were a do-gooder. Alien-loving earth-traitor. Murder ain't really your style, kid sis.”

 

“It's not. But see, I happen to have one particular alien friend...telepath, actually. Very good at wiping memory. And replacing it. You could wake up tomorrow thinking aliens are the bee's knees, _big bro_. And gosh, you seem to be lacking any of your cool protective tech in here, aren't you? So no fashioning some kind of fancy tin foil hat to shield your cranium.”

 

Lex stares at her, silently, but she sees a wave of redness creeping up his neck, towards his face.

 

“ _A.J._ isn't to be touched. Or your brain becomes scrambled eggs. Have a nice life sentence, Alexander.”

 

She gets up and knocks on the door, letting the guards know she's leaving.

 

“He's a chip off the old block, you know. He can't escape being a Luthor, I don't care what he changes his name to. He'll always be my son.”

 

“No, Lex. He's not your son. He's _mine._ ”

 

She walks out, knowing her last words to him will eat at him forever.

 

********

 

“Just _kiss_ already!” Zora yells out the open window at her older sister and said sister's new boyfriend, as they sit side by side on the backyard swingset, chatting. Her command is followed by an eruption of giggles from the three youngest Danverses and their cousin, all peeking out from the living room through the screen door.

 

“Okay, seriously? Can the four of you grow up, please?” Allie groans. “Mom! A little help, huh?”

 

Kara approaches the young quartet and shoos them back to the couch, before addressing her eldest. “You kids doing all right out there? Need anything?”

 

“Some privacy would be nice!”

 

“Not likely, honey. You're both still grounded. This is what we agreed to with Lena and James. You can date, but only with direct parental supervision.”

 

“For how long again?”

 

“Until we say so,” Mon-El chimes in from behind his wife. “But look on the bright side, you'll both be over eighteen in…” he looks at his watch. “...three years!”

 

The couple sighs with resigned disappointment, and A.J. reaches a hand over to clasp with Allie's, a show of solidarity.

 

“Whoa, there! Don't make me come separate you two!” Mon-El jokes, though A.J. doesn't quite grasp the humor, and untangles his fingers. “I'm kidding, young man. You can hold my daughter's hand. Long as that's all you're doing with it.”

 

“Yes, sir,” the teen gulps.

 

“Oh, let them be,” Lena says, from the kitchen table. “They're good kids.”

 

“They are. Smart, too,” Kara says. “Funny, he figured out our identities all by himself. _You_ couldn't even do that, Lena.”

 

“And _you_ couldn't figure out he was working against Lex covertly. But Allie did,” Lena rebuts, sipping her drink slowly.

 

“Maybe we're the real brains in the family,” A.J. says, coming in the door. Clearly the kids have given up on the pretense of having any alone time together. Probably for the best, since Allie's parents and their super-ears are never more than a few yards away.

 

“How _did_ you figure it out?” Allie asks her boyfriend.

 

“I mean, there were plenty of clues. I thought it was kinda weird that your parents--including your spitting image mother--look like they're ten years older than you…you guys might want to figure that out, by the way. Image inducers or whatever. Then there was the soldering iron. But it didn't hit me until I realized you were at the warehouse. Scorched clothes, building collapse, two kids in the middle of nowhere. Actually though, more than anything it was...your eyes.”

 

“My eyes? Really?”

 

“Well, yeah. The sister I told you about, she had this poster of Supergirl on her wall…you guys both have the _exact_ same eyes.”

 

“Yeah, I know a thing or two about those,” Mon-El says, sitting down on the couch with a bowl of popcorn he's just grabbed from the kitchen. “How about a movie, huh?”

 

“Nothing with explosions in it. Or tunnels,” Allie says.

 

“And no romcoms. I think we've had enough meet-cuting for a while,” John adds.

 

“Agreed,” the adults in the room say in unison.

 

Eventually, after much debate, John throws Jurassic Park on for probably the tenth time this year, and despite some initial grumbling, the whole lot of them settle in to watch. Kara and Mon-El even pretend not to notice A.J. putting his arm around Allie.

 

Halfway through, A.J. turns and looks at Allie with a goofy smile.

 

“What?” she asks, pulling back a little.

 

“This is nice. Feels so...normal. It's gonna take some getting used to.”

 

“I don't know what you're talking about, no normal people _here,_ ” she replies, shaking her head with a chuckle.

 

“If there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's that normal is overrated. So we make our own normal,” Kara says to the teens, with motherly affection.

 

“If you guys don't stop talking I'm gonna put a normal-sized hole in the TV,” Xander complains.

 

Allie rolls her eyes and sighs. “Welcome to my world,” she groans. Her boyfriend smiles broadly and settles in to watch the screen, leaning his head against hers.

 

Kara looks over at her own mate, who's wearing a similar happy grin. “I love you,” she mouths.

 

“Khahp zhao rip,” he replies in return, knowing she melts when he speaks Kryptonian. He then tosses a few kernels her way, making her giggle. She reaches over to squeeze his hand as they look on at their little brood.

 

“Sometimes I wish I could stop time, keep them just as they are. Make it so they never grow up,” Kara whispers. “You ever feel that way?”

 

He tilts his head to one side contemplatively. “Nah, I can't wait to see the people they're going to be.”

 

“Yeah, you know what? Me too.”

 

“We did good, didn't we?”

 

“Yeah. Yeah, we did. Hit a grand slam I'd say.”

 

“You ever think about…hitting _another_ home run? You know, a fifth baby?”

 

“Oh, _hell_ no. Four is plenty. I'm happy enough to wait for grandkids." She reaches over, grabs a handful of popcorn and shoves it in her mouth.

 

Mon-El laughs out loud, to the consternation of his children.

 

“But if you want to have some batting practice later…” Kara purrs into his ear, moving onto his lap.

 

“Hey! Not the only ones with superhearing here!” John quickly interrupts.

 

The Kryptonian and the Daxamite stifle their laughter at that, and cozy up, grateful for the moment of familial peace. Knowing this family, it certainly won't last, but for tonight, all is right in Midvale.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know why but I couldn't stop picturing Kevin Spacey as lex here. Probably because I made A.J.'s mom Kitty Kowalski who is specific to Superman Returns (I actually liked that movie, sue me, Brandon Routh is great).
> 
> Also Kevin Spacey kind of ups the creep factor. 
> 
> Anyway hope you enjoyed this, and thank you to the handful of folks who have stuck with me though this crazy series! 
> 
> Love my Karamel Fam!


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